Custody
by Rena Redhead
Summary: Loopholes, deception, disappearances. Puzzle pieces that need to be put together. A villain watches from the corner of his only eye the Boy Wonder. But Robin has another problem, too. It's an evergrowing fight with the Dark Knight. A father son story.
1. Chapter 1: High Society Pt 1

**Disclaimer:** Alright, so I'm going to tell you now that I don't own Teen Titans. I never have and never will. I also don't own anything that has to do with DC Comics. It's very sad, I know (I'm trying to keep from crying), but hey, what can you do?

**Official Summary:** Loopholes, deception, disappearances. Puzzle pieces that need to be put together. A villain watches from the corner of his only eye the Boy Wonder. But Robin has another problem, too. It's an ever-growing fight with the Dark Knight. A father-son story.

**Author's Note:** This chapter was written up early, but I've edited it now and have rewritten some of it to fit the main plot of the story. I actually originally wrote part of this while writing "What?". So yeah, you readers get it a little late, but that's okay. All of the other chapters will be fresh and no one else will have read them. The whole story is one that I have been really excited about for a long time now. I couldn't really decide on a genre either. I hope that readers will enjoy this and I assure you, I will take the time to make this a story worth reading. So how about I stop typing and let you get to reading? Here is "Custody: Chapter One: High Society"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part One: Introduction**

**Chapter One: High Society**

The party dragged on for hours. Despite the fact that all the guests were distantly related and none of them actually knew each other, none of them had objected to the chance to attend the party at the large manor. The huge chandeliers were glowing brightly and radiated an illuminating sheen onto the high pearly white marble walls. Large staircases were cut off, but still their elegant design were marveled by those who had not been to the manor recently... or at all. The designs held a rare beauty that came from the mid-19th century. They were taken care of ever since the Wayne brothers of Solomon and Zebediah had purchased the manor.

The building itself had been updated as time had passed. The latest security systems had been added to protect the old manor and its contents. But it still held a castle-like state and was surrounded by vast and beautiful gardens. Farther out was a cliff, but people never went there, unless they wished to write up their will and final words. The other astounding feature of the manor was the view of one of the largest cities in the United States. It even gave New York City a run for its money.

Gotham was large and growing. Over three vast islands and three smaller islands were apartments, business enterprises, a mono-rail system, a couple of parks, port systems, a game stadium, and of course a police department that never turned off its lights. An airport was on the outskirts on the main land, and pilots would savor what they could before their next flight, which was probably very soon. Despite the grand description of Gotham, it was nothing like Metropolis, because its grandeur was fading. The slums were getting worse. The old gargoyles were breaking away at points, making them look even more deformed. And criminals walked around the Narrows and many other places in broad daylight.

Gotham had once been a large part of the industrial revolution. But now, many years after the depression, people were still homeless and the government seemed corrupt. And it was. Yet it was still comparable to the NYC and Metropolis downtown. The structures shot up from the ground in diamond and silver fashions. And still, the manor was one of the only things that had barely changed... well, mostly. It was still in possession of an heir to Gotham's "First Family". And the Prince of Gotham was still single...

There was a punch bowl in almost every room, but the contents were all the same. Lemon-Lime soda flavored with cherry syrup, making Shirley Temples. Around each table were cookies, little brownies, fudge, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate fountains, sweet (and steaming) rolls, shrimp, and tiny plates for the guests. Only the best.

Waiters came through the crowd, serving tiny hors d'œuvres and caviar. Their host was frantic and was trying to keep the party running smoothly. He had agreed to it after all. He had been the one to propose the idea of a family reunion here, anyway. It didn't make much sense. There were few people that actually knew each other very well and if they did know each other, it was only because they did family history.

None of them were really in close contact with each other and none of the guests, save for one, were really in the immediate family which generally included parents and children. Beyond that were a few grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, and cousins. Even then, that was under 20, maybe even 15. So branching out even farther, were second cousins, third cousins, aunts and uncles of their families, and the even more distant relatives. Overall it took several tries on-line to find enough people to really call it a party at Wayne Manor.

Out on the patio was dancing. The sun had set a couple hours ago and the bright moon and stars (away from the bustling city) shone down and provided what light the torches did not. There was a sparkle to the water that could been seen far out by the cliff. A young man in his mid-teens was standing by one of the torches twirling around what contents were left in his small party glass of punch. Not very amusing, but then he hadn't been one of the guests all too thrilled to come anyway. Then again, neither had been the host.

The boy had ebony black hair that had been smoothed back by a decent amount of hair gel. He wore the tux. He wore the cummerbund. He wore the black shoes. He wore the bow tie. He wanted to go back. There were very few younger children here and many of those who were didn't even qualify as pre-teens. The boy had been reluctant to come, but had traveled back home for the occasion.

Yes, he was one of the few that could call the place a home. Ever since he had been eight years old, he had been a resident at Wayne Manor. It's not that he didn't like the place. He knew every twist, turn, corner...and every other place that there was to find. He had even seen the 'basement' of the place. His blue eyes looked upon the dancers.

No one he knew was dancing there. His blue eyes directed themselves up to the stars, where he kept them longingly for a couple minutes. He sighed when his neck became strained and walked back inside. The bugs weren't out, but he needed to get back in and 'socialize'. Ha, as if. Who would he talk to? When he reached the main entrance, he looked up the stairs wishing that he could just run up to his room to get his iPod. But, no. He wasn't allowed to do that during the party. Not anymore. He was a teenager now and expected to put up with parties like an adult.

He turned to get his seventh glass of punch when he ran into an old friend, "Dick, how are you?"

"Fine, Clark." He feigned happiness.

"Party getting dull or did it do that a couple hours ago?" Dick laughed at the comment

"You really can see through people." Dick said to Clark.

Clark was probably the closest thing he had to an uncle, even though they weren't related legally or by blood. Clark had dark black hair too, but, was by no means a teenager. He was actually more around Dick's guardian's age (which was what? early-mid thirties?). Clark Kent lived out in Metropolis as a reporter for the Daily Planet. He was a good friend and didn't hesitate to come. While he would never say it, he did agree with their butler in that neither of the residents here did a good job socializing. Well, Dick did an okay job, but not Bruce.

"How's that Jump Private School treating you?" Clark asked.

Dick smiled. "Fine, most things are running smoothly."

Truth was, Dick didn't attend a private school out in Jump. That's just what the press had been told to cover up for his absence in Gotham. That had always been a bit odd to him, that the press would care about where he was or what he did, but he had accepted it after the first three years. Dick was living on his own with four good friends. They lived on a distinctly well known piece of property, though nobody in Jump knew that Richard Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne, lived there.

Speaking of Bruce... "Clark, how's the party treating you?"

Bruce had a similar build to Clark. Both were very strong men and with broad shoulders. The difference was that Bruce really had to work out for his muscles. Clark could take it easy, the farm boy. Bruce made the duo of black haired heads a trio. His was also smeared with hair gel like Dick's, but he had a pair of startling gray eyes instead of blue.

"Do you really have to ask, Bruce?" Clark responded, dully.

"Yeah, I know. Listen, Clark, you can leave if you want," Bruce told his friend.

"And I can't?" Dick asked, as though accusing the man of something.

"You live here," Bruce retorted, leaving no room for an argument.

"Not much anymore," Dick mumbled which was rewarded by a hard glare. "Fine, I'll go and 'socialize'... like you do."

Bruce found it hard to ignore Richard's sarcasm and shook his head. Clark gave him a look that just read 'Really?' and Bruce rolled his eyes...which landed on a lovely Selina Kyle coming their way. Selina Kyle was another good friend and was not related to Bruce or Dick. She and Bruce would run into each other on many occasions. Not that either Clark or Richard liked her too much, but Bruce... well he was undecided. In situations such as these, he put up his act as always. What Clark could never figure out was if it wasn't totally an act or not...

"Bruce," she smiled at them with pearly teeth, "Clark Kent, right?"

Clark nodded and she continued, "Clark, would you mind if I borrowed Bruce from you, now would you?"

"Not at all, just return him," That was another thing about Clark. He could crack a joke and Bruce could barely crack a smile. Bruce looked at Clark to excuse himself with a nod and Clark nodded back. As Bruce went off with Selina, Clark decided to head for one of the refreshment tables again, thinking about home and wondering how Lois and Jimmy were. They had been working on a story that he would have helped out with, but this party conflicted with it.

Dick walked around just looking bored. After refilling his glass of punch again (he had already needed a few bathroom runs), he went into the lounge that was full of couples. He leaned against the doorway just thinking, 'Wonder what the guys are doing? Hope they're handling Jump City alright.' He watched the people move about and talk to each other. Most of the older women would pass and he'd smell the strong scent of perfume that made you think that they had had the perfume since their first date at sixteen. The older men would sit around and talk philosophy with nothing better to do then politely counter each other.

Of course there were others. He looked over at a refreshments table where he saw two women, one short and plump, the other tall and a stick. They looked like the number ten standing next to each other. A man came over and interrupted them. They began to chat as though they were long time friends. Which they weren't. Dick knew that. A woman with brown hair up in a bun came by and walked around to get a drink. She bumped into another man, also with brown hair, and spilled the drink over his shirt.

Yes, this is what he was doing. Observing people doing acts of no value whatsoever.

Dick found himself going back out to the patio where a crowd was surrounding the dance floor. He pushed his way to the edge of the crowd and what met his eyes was, well not surprising to say the least, but not really welcomed either. In the center of the dance floor was Bruce doing a fancy waltz with Ms. Kyle. And Dick came in just in time to see Bruce twirl Selina in and dip her down, smiling. Being the rich playboy was a talent of Bruce's that he had refined to be very convincing, but Dick could see when Bruce was acting or not...normally. Right then, Bruce looked very happy. .

Dick knew that it wasn't true. He wasn't. He'd never be. That's how it had always had been and Bruce made no effort to change it. Ever. Bruce wasn't this guy who spent his weekends in hotels spending time with actresses and models. Bruce didn't stay at home, either. He'd go out at night and try to stay out until the crack of dawn, where he'd come back to the Manor and fall asleep on his bed.

Dick would do that, too. Or at least, he used to do it all the time when he was younger. Now that he lived out in Jump, he didn't get to do it that much anymore. Dick didn't need to, actually. His friends told him to rest and go to sleep. Like he would. Dick would stay up late. He'd read over files and try to piece together the parts of puzzles that never seemed to end or had missing pieces to them. If he slept at all at night, he'd get about three to five hours.

Richard walked back inside and found Alfred standing at the doorway, "Getting tired, Master Dick?"

Alfred never got out of the habit of always greeting him or Bruce by 'Master Wayne, Master Bruce, or Master Dick'. While at parties, Dick would always insist that people called him Richard, but he didn't mind when close friends like Alfred or Clark called him Dick, though. His mother and father had. Had. They weren't around anymore...

"No, not really," Dick responded.

"Well, you're getting tired of the party, are you not?" Alfred asked.

Alfred was the old butler of Wayne Manor and had a fine British accent. He had been around for a long time and had known Bruce ever since he was born. He had known Martha and Thomas Wayne, Bruce's parents as well. Dick had never met them. Alfred also knew the manor inside and out as well as several skills that had saved their lives on occasion.

"Yeah, kinda... no offense, you know how to throw a party, but the violin music is something I'd only enjoy if I had a date, Alfred. And you know that Bruce would choke and die if he heard I had a date," Richard said.

Alfred laughed at the remark of Bruce's opinions, "True, true. Do you wish to go to bed or just go up to your room for the rest of the evening, then?"

"If I can't do anything else," Dick told him.

Alfred knew that he wasn't ready for bed. He knew that while Dick's room was full of things that any teenager would die for, he wouldn't be interested in them. Dick had not come back to Gotham City for the party, not really. No way. He was here to keep the paparazzi at bay, but if he could get something out of it, like being in Gotham for a night, it would probably be worth it.

"I'm afraid Bruce would want to leave the manor now as much as you would, but it wouldn't be the best idea, Master Dick." Dick looked disappointed at Alfred's comment, yet he had expected his idea to be rejected.

So instead, Dick sneaked upstairs through the kitchen and up to his room. It was large, but just as he remembered it. It was painted a bright red with a white ceiling. The floor was made with mahogany wood and the bed was positioned directly opposite the door. It was a queen-sized bed, but didn't have the frills that most queen-sized beds had. Red and black sheets lined the bed and pillows were covered in red as well. The bed was a lush cloud to lie on at night and was ready for its owner's head after being untouched for so long.

To the right was a TV system with games, VCR/DVD/Blue-ray players, DVDs, Blue-ray disks, videotapes, gamestations, stereo, surround sound, and full quality cable access all neatly placed into the wall. To the left was a large walk-in closet with suits, day clothes, and tons of gym clothes also waiting for use. In the far right corner was a doorway to the bathroom that had a marble white sink, Jacuzzi tub, a shower, fluffy white and red towels, and other luxuries. Lastly, it held a small container of his favorite hair gel. Spoiled? One could have called Dick that, except for the fact that half of those items had remained untouched since they were brought in because of lack of interest, and they were never asked for in the first place.

Dick walked in and closed the door. He looked out the windows that were on either side of the bed and saw once again the view that always mesmerized him as a kid. It was a magnificent view of Gotham City bustling about, never sleeping. He sat down on his bed and eyed the small compartment under his bedside table. Hesitantly, he pulled a key out from inside his pillow and opened up the compartment. Inside were two round electronic objects. One was black and turned off. The other was also off, but was goldish yellow with black marks on it and had a black "T" in the center.

He picked that one up and flipped it open. He was about to turn it on, when he realized what he looked like. Throwing his hand to his head, Dick messed up his hair so that it was spiked up in a way that would make some of the older guests down stairs faint out of the shock of teenage styles today. He dug farther back into the compartment and pulled out an opaque white mask with black rims. He placed it over his eyes and just breathed. Man, he loved the feeling of the mask on his face. It was like being without clothing on sometimes when he didn't have it on.

Now, he turned on the device. It lit up and a large room appeared in front of him...along with his four friends: One half human/half robot Cyborg, one half human/half demon Raven, one Tamaranian, Starfire, and one green changeling, Beast Boy.

He smiled, "Hey guys! Guess who."

Beast Boy turned his head to seem him on the huge window sized screen, "Robin, dude! How's Gotham?"

Robin laughed, "Ever been to a party meant to bore you to death?"

-T-

"Jimmy!"

"Sorry, Miss Lane," Jimmy responded, as he pulled himself up from the ground.

Lois got up and unconsciously rubbed her bottom. She had been standing on his shoulders, attempting to hot-wire a camera on the outer wall of the building. It was late, but she had to get this story. Perry expected it by morning.

"I almost had it!" She said as she bit her lip in frustration.

"Miss Lane? Don't you think Luthor would have a back up, anyway?" Jimmy asked.

"Olsen, that wouldn't matter if we could just get _in_ there." She told him, "This party of Luthor's is big. That party list wasn't even released to the security guards."

Needless to say, they were not on the guest list. Jimmy watched as Lois started to look around once again for some means of getting in. If there was anything, she'd find it. There were a couple street lights on and they were clearly visible to anyone who would pass by. But then again, not many people were going to pass by LexCorp at night. There wasn't much need to and there were not many people (including employees) who even wanted to.

Jimmy sighed, "Miss Lane..."

"Lois, Jimmy, call me 'Lois'. It's not that hard." She told him.

That's what she always had told him to call her and yet he never could manage, or at least, not without reverting back to 'Miss Lane'. Lois had on her work clothes of a peach-pearl suit with running shoes. She was a natural beauty with black hair and finely toned skin, and if she actually wore make up to work, well, all bets were off that the new kids would start to flirt with her. Unfortunately for them, Lois never tolerated that. And only the new kids would do it because they didn't know of her little... crush. She was there to work and that's what she would do. And she could do it well, even if a bit of danger happened to get in the way.

"Lois," he repeated and continued, "Why do we care what Luthor's doing? He's just going to get away with it like he always has."

"Not always, Jimmy," Lois answered, while scanning the building.

Jimmy normally was all for catching Luthor in some criminal act, but when it cut into his beauty sleep and his chances of getting a good picture were one in a billion, he wasn't totally up for it. Especially when they could possibly find evidence later.

Jimmy let out a snort, obviously irritated. "He gets stopped by the Man of Steel and gets out of jail three months later? Tell me how that's not getting away with it."

"His reputation gets chipped away at, that's how," Lois responded.

In truth, that had just happened and she didn't blame Jimmy for being mad about it. She was, too. And then to see that the mild-mannered one, Clark, had been furious, well that was rare in itself and was enough to give anyone a free pass at being mad.

Finally she sighed in what sounded to Jimmy like defeat, "Well, I guess we can always just stake out the building."

Jimmy's eyes bulged. It was already eleven, "Um, Miss La, Lois, don't we need to sleep?"

"Oh, go sleep you big baby. Give me the camera, I'll stay," Lois said, while grabbing the camera from around the young photographer's neck.

Jimmy smiled. That was Lois and he wasn't going to argue. If he had to be called a 'big baby' to get some sleep by Lois, so be it. People who didn't know Lois might, but he wouldn't. The Chief, er, Mr. White (as Perry would tell Jimmy to call him) would have a story in the morning, no doubt about it.

"Alright, good luck, Miss, Lois. Hope you have Clark's luck," He said, leaving the other star reporter of the Daily Planet standing at the bottom of LexCorp waiting for the opportunity to grab her story.

Jimmy only glanced back once, but his thoughts were mainly on falling onto his bed as soon as possible. He waved once at Lois and went home. Lois waved back as she watched the plaid-dressed boy went back home. She sighed and looked up to the top level of the building where inside the lights were lit and taunting her. And yet, even if she knew who was inside, that wouldn't exactly deter her from getting in. Actually, it was more likely that she'd try harder if she did know. The same night that Clark was gone at that Wayne party... He'd better have a story about that for Perry, too.

Lex Luthor's party was similar to Wayne's. The fancy food, the music, the works. Barely any kids and only a few teenagers who were mostly nineteen. Yeah, it was restricted, big time. And for good reason. And by that, it's really a good reason for only Luthor and his guests. Unlike Wayne's party, the guests were... different. Not family, thank goodness. But they were all odd in some way. Some without manners to begin with. Some sick minded, others who couldn't get enough of rare steak because of the juiciness. Yet some were quiet well composed.

They were here from everywhere. Some used magic. A few were from other continents. Others were trained. Some were just plain crazy. The Calculator drank punch while Talia Al Ghul avoided him. Brother Blood talked with Madam Rouge about France. Brainiac fought with the Riddler over who was smarter. The Silver Swan was flirting with Ares. Cheshire talked with David Cain and Poison Ivy. The Society reborn. Larger, but without purpose.

Joker looked at the pie in front of him thinking about the waste it was and wondering why he had come here. Pathetic. This man didn't know how to through a party. And the freaks here. Sheesh! Did the man have a problem or something? And where was Luthor, anyway? What was the point of having them all here? If it had anything to do with Superman, he didn't care. He looked around to see if there was anyone that wasn't as... creepy to talk to. He spotted a man down the table. He was tall, muscular, and his blond hair had some gray in it. Normal enough.

"Hey buddy? What do you think of all the freaks and freakesses here?" he asked and strolled up to him with light hearted insanity in his voice and laughter as he draped an arm over the taller man in the blue suit.

The man turned to look at him. Well, that was it, that's what had made Luthor invite this guy. He was missing an eye and his other one was staring icy daggers at him. It even made Joker lose his grin.

"I don't think I quite understand what you are saying, Joker. I find the guests delightfully entertaining."

Joker smiled again insanely. He liked this man; he had a sense of humor, "Humor! Love it! What's your name?"

But he never got his answer. Someone came up to the two and dully (which Joker despised) stated, "Luthor would like to talk to you in his office, sir."

The man nodded and followed, leaving Joker to pout over having no one to talk to again. The office was dark with only the computer to light up the room, giving it an artificial feeling to it. The door closed and the guest looked at the chair which was facing the opposite wall.

"You're the one that they call Deathstroke, the Terminator?"

"I am." He took a seat as Luthor spun around to face him, the computer light brightening his face up like a ghost.

"Deathstroke then..."

"Call me Slade, Luthor, Deathstroke has become more a ... title." Slade told him.

Titles, they all had them. But at least this man was modest enough to acknowledge it. Luthor smiled. So far, he liked this man. "I have a problem that I would like you to solve."

Slade leaned back in his seat. "What kind of problem, Luthor?"

"Business. Purely business. This person has been a thorn in LexCorps' side for years, even while being stationed in a different city," Luthor said, calmly and in hushed tone, "I've had it. I have a couple... projects that I want to finish. Their owner, he won't comply. It's simply the last straw."

Slade sighed for a moment as he thought, but finally spoke, "Luthor, I'm sure that you know that I don't really _do_ that anymore, I can, but... I'm sure that you know about my work in Jump. I can't exactly just leave that unattended and I don't really need to get a job to pay my rent."

"I'll pay good money for it with added supplies and I'll give you all the time you need, as long as it doesn't go over a year."

"Untraceable money?" he asked, stroking his goatee in thought.

"Is there any other? Plus benefits," Luthor countered, "I don't care how it's done really. As long as they're out of the picture."

"So you want an assassin to pull out that thorn?" Slade asked calmly after a moment of silence.

"Exactly."

-T-

**A/N:** Okay, that's chapter one. Sorry it was so long. I wanted to establish the basis of the story first. Other chapters will probably be shorter, but as a writing addict I guess you can never tell with me. How was it? R&R! Chapter two is in progress. I don't know how often I can update (lots of work to do), but my minimum will be at least once a month. Although I might be able to update every two weeks. Not sure. Well, tell me what you thought of it the first chapter! Later!

Rena


	2. Chapter 2: Total Fun, Really

**Disclaimer:** Hey, what do you know? I'm starting to learn to decipher Krytonian writing. But that doesn't matter since I own nothing anyway. Not Google, not Wikipedia, not Teen Titans, not Batman, not the DCU, nothing.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all of the reviews and anyone who read the first chapter! I seriously, like, love you all right now, so much. You guys all rock. The second thing that I wanted to mention, this story is going to be broken down into sections. The first section "Part One: Introduction" is the shortest by far and it sets the stage for everything. The rest are fairly long and Chapter Three should be the beginning of the next one. And thirdly, I didn't say this previously, but I guess I should, this is not a slash story. I never write them, I never will. So yeah. That's really all I wanted to say. I'll let you get to the next chapter now. Warning: If you tend to laugh insanely, um, well, you'll like the ending of this next chapter... "Chapter Two: Total Fun, Really"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Two: Total Fun, Really**

When one sleeps, there's three things that can happen. The subconscious will take over our minds and allow for thoughts to surface. There are nights when this will not happen. That's the first thing that could happen. But when our thoughts surface, they bring to light very different things. Desires, answers, wants, and wishes. These will lead into the second thing: Dreams. But the third, it brings out the cold sweat that one can feel when they wake up and makes us shiver and shake under our own skin. Trauma, panic, stress, fear, and one's worst memories.

The third, a nightmare, that's what took hold of Dick's mind the night after the party.

Dick stood up in the mist around him. But he wasn't Dick at the moment. While dressed in a red and green tunic, green pants, black steel toed boots, a gold belt, and a cape, the mask that covered his eyes appeared to be normal. Robin looked around. It was dark, but he soon made his way up the steps from the cave below. Opening up the door, he found the main room of Titans Tower. It should have been Bruce's study in reality, but of course, this was a dream.

It was deserted and quiet as though no one had ever bothered to live there in the first place. But the objects scattered about begged to differ. Plates were broken and the couch was torn apart. The silver walls were falling down. Walking up to the cracked window, Robin gazed at his reflection that it made. He was alone and it scared him. He would have given anything to have his friends with him at the moment. He shivered from the cold – the draft got to him.

_"Having fun?"_

With a gasp, Robin turned around to stare the man in the face, his cold eye watching him like a hawk. He barely had time to react and he didn't for the sudden shock. Robin felt himself being pushed back into the glass which broke on contact. He screamed, but was caught off by his throat being tugged by the collar of his cape. The wind whipped his hair as he felt cold drops of rain begin to fall, slowly, but with increasing intensity. He grasped above his cape and looked up just in time to see Slade pull him up so that they were staring each other in the face. His feet still dangled and he could barely breathe.

_"Are you scared, Robin?"_

Robin attempted to growl but it came out as more of a choke. Slade chuckled and loosened his grip, making Robin hold on tighter, _"You'll survive. I know that, but remember..."_

Slade brought Robin up close so that he could faintly him whisper in his ear, _"I'll find you no matter where you go."_

Robin felt the man release the hold on his throat. He wasn't seeing spots, but that was no longer a bad thing. Robin saw the ground coming, but was too paralyzed to scream. No noise, nothing would come out of his mouth. His eyes darted upward where he saw a green light shine for a moment and then go out. He was falling with the rain, not a drop hitting him, just falling right beside him. Robin closed his eyes waiting for the impact of the cold muddy ground.

With a sudden shock, his eyes snapped open and Dick found himself sitting upright in his bed. The sun was streaking in from the windows warmly, indicating that it was still in the early morning hours. His pulse was quick and he could feel his heart pounding in his rib cage against his lungs. Closing his eyes, Dick bent his head down and counted to ten. '_One, two, three...It was a dream... four, five... eight... it was only a dream...ten.' _He let out a deep breath and shook his head. So his nightmares were not average. Not really. But that was okay. He barely slept anyway.

Suddenly, he could smell breakfast cooking, Alfred's famous hash browns and ham-cheese omelets. No reason to wait. Jumping out of bed, Dick stretched and walked over to the bathroom where he patted his face with water to really wake himself up. Walking into his closet, Dick grabbed a pair of jeans and a black 'T'. After going back into the bathroom to spike his hair up, Dick took the short-cut downstairs and slid down the banister into kitchen.

"Morning, Alf," he said walking by the chief as he took his normal seat on the island.

Alfred paused, the nickname not a real favorite nor was the act of sliding down the banister like it was a toy, and replied, "Good morning to you too, Master Dick. And you slept well I assume?"

Dick toyed with his fork for a moment since there wasn't actually a plate in front of him and answered, "As well as I can expect, I guess."

Alfred nodded as he slid the omelet onto a plate and carried it over to Dick, "Good to hear. I was wondering though, how long are you planning on staying till that _private_ _school_ calls you back?"

Dick shrugged, "Thought I'd see Commissioner Gordon tonight and probably make the trip back tomorrow."

"A wise decision. And what will you be doing for the day?"

Dick had a mouth full of food, but answered anyway, "Be downstairs or watching TV, depends."

Alfred rolled his eyes and Dick gave him a 'sorry' look while continuing to eat. Mostly, mornings were spent in silence. Dick ate his breakfast and was about to go upstairs when he heard light footsteps coming inside. Clark came into the kitchen, his glasses off and in a pocket of his brown suit for work. Dick just wondered how Clark planned on explaining the soon to be 'wind-blown' appearance to his boss.

"Morning, Alfred. Bruce said I could pick up some breakfast down here before taking off," Clark told the butler, who smiled and began to prepare a plate.

Dick smiled too as he brought his plate to the sink, "Didn't know you were staying the night."

"Late party, you were the lucky one," Clark answered.

"You forget what I put up with I was younger," Dick responded, "I was always fidgeting. And the food tasted like raw squid or something."

Clark laughed, "true."

Alfred handed Clark a plate and he took a seat. He barely ever saw Clark and since he wasn't making any side trips to Metropolis tomorrow, he might as well talk to him now.

"So how's things back home?" he asked.

Clark looked up at him and swallowed, "Alright, but Luthor made bail and was acquitted of all charges. Ridiculous really."

Clark dove back into the breakfast as Dick continued, "sorry 'bout that."

"Not your fault," Clark said, cutting up the omelet. "How's everything going out in Jump with that team of yours?"

"Great," Dick replied, a bit of pride in his voice, "It's incredible. I love it. It's so interesting how once you really get started, you figure out how your teammates work and how to protect each other and work together. It makes fight strategies all the more easier."

"Who's on the team again? I keep losing track of them, sorry," Clark asked.

"It's alright, well there's Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire," he answered.

"Starfire, she's the Tamaranian, right?" Clark inquired, but also while glancing over at the staircase briefly.

"Yeah, you've heard of them?" Dick answered, smiling.

"I've met them on occasion," Clark said, now looking back, "The Kryptonians and Tamaranians didn't interact much since they were so far away. But we've certainly heard of each other. They're amazing fighters."

"Star's great. She's a real advantage to have on the team. Plus, she loves Earth and loves being on the team," Dick replied, thinking back to his teammate and best friend. Clark thought that there was a tone in Dick's voice that sounded a bit happier, but didn't say anything about it.

"Well that's good." Clark finished his breakfast and also brought his plate over to the sink for Alfred. "I've got to run. Thanks for breakfast, Alfred. It was good as Ma's cooking."

"You are welcome, Mr. Kent," Alfred answered, "I'm so sorry that Master Bruce could not join us, but he's either still out or asleep upstairs."

"It's alright, I think we're all used to it," Clark replied, and he turned to Dick. "Don't kill yourself, Dick."

Dick rolled his eyes and sarcastically remarked, "Why would you ever think I'd do something like that?"

"Don't know. Good luck with the Titans." Clark smiled.

A beeping sound came from his pocket and he pulled out his phone just before he reached the door, "Clark Kent... Lois, Hi... oh...just swell... yeah, of course... well I... I don't know where Jimmy is... Yes, I'm just turning onto the street... "

Clark eyed the others and Dick was the first to get the message. Noise, the city. Grabbing a timer, he started to make it ring while kicking the wall (making Alfred's eyes nearly come out of his sockets in the process) and talking randomly and different pitches. Only after that did Alfred get the message and joined Dick in the process. Dick glanced at Clark hoping that the noise wouldn't hurt his ears. It wouldn't help since he was, after all, talking to Lois whom he happened to know Clark was quite, well, fond of.

But still, Clark now had to cover an ear, "Lois, now's not really the best time to talk... You did what? But... Luthor's party... I'm sorry that I couldn't... Of course, I already have that report on Wayne's. Look, I'll talk to you at the office, Lois, bye."

Clark leaned against the door as Dick and Alfred stopped making all of the noise, "I don't know what was louder, Lois or you guys."

"I can answer that."

The three turned to see a solemn Bruce in a blue robe on the steps. He didn't look happy, then again, he never did, but it was more than unhappy. It was annoyed and tired. Alfred looked to the side while Dick automatically bowed his head to the floor, ready for the lecture that he expected and would accept without complaint or comment.

"You can't wait a couple more hours for something like that?" he asked harshly.

"They were helping me avoid Lois, Bruce, that was my fault," Clark said, intercepting the blame before Bruce could assign it to someone else.

Bruce eyed him for a moment and then sighed, answering with little humor in his voice, "If you think you could remain quiet for a couple more hours, I'd appreciate it. I need a couple more hours if that is possible."

Dick continued to look at the floor as Bruce's gaze moved to him and then on to Alfred. Finally, Bruce headed up the steps ready to go back to sleep. Alfred shook his head and broke the silence.

"Not to worry about that. He went out after the party," Alfred told the two, but of course Dick already knew this. When did Bruce not go out at night?

Clark answered, "Thanks, Alfred. I'd better go, Chief'll be furious if I'm late. It was nice to see both of you."

Finally Dick spoke, "Good to see you too. "

Clark winked and then opened the door and left. Dick heard the wind against the door and knew that he was probably half way to Metropolis by now. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. Alfred began to load up the dishes and Dick took the opportunity to slip out of the kitchen unnoticed. It was only eight in the morning and he was already bored. He still didn't feel like going downstairs for a wake up call or to do work. It would be freezing.

So instead he wandered inside to the front where there were large sitting rooms with pianos and large plush couches. He finally found one with a Plasma screen where he grabbed the remote and collapsed on the couch. Maybe it's only because he was clicking the up button on the remote, but he wasn't _as_ bored. Still though, nothing was on. And he couldn't even turn up the volume because Bruce needed his rest.

Dick groaned as he realized what he would be doing today. Going to Wayne Tower, the Enterprises, of course. That's what. He just had to make an appearance there... great, just great. That meant he couldn't read up on the updates in the computer data base. Well, he could always hope that Alfred would be up for saving him from going. But that possibility seemed out of the question. So for the rest of two hours, he'd watch TV. Then he'd get back into a suit and head out with Bruce to Wayne Tower. Total fun, really.

Really not.

-T-

The trip back to Jump was uneventful, as it always was. The paper work had all been worked out and now it was time to go back to work. Slade opened the door and took off the large coat that he had been wearing, Wintergreen taking it without comment and hanging it up on the wall. A wardrobe change and he was in his... office. If you could call it that.

Dark, a bit cold, and the glow of monitors displayed in front of him. It was secluded, away from everything else. The place was almost empty except for a wide desk. Orange and black. The colors on his mask. His right eye looked around. Even the room knew its master. It was just like that. One couldn't explain why. It just was. Slade sat down and flexed his fingers. A keyboard raised itself up and out of the desk.

Before any assignment, there was always research to be done. Both on the employer and the target. On this occasion though, he already had enough information on his employer. Lex Luthor, business man or Lex Luthor, super-villain and arch-enemy of the Man of Steel. Everyone on the inside knew that. Luthor's concerns were not of any interest to him, he might be smart, but here, he was just hiring him to get an obstacle out of the way.

So he'd get it out of the way quickly. But he did need information on his target. Financial, business, associates, criminal accusations, family life, history, etc. All were essential. So naturally, the only place to start was on the web. He typed the name in and didn't have to wait long for his answer:

**Bruce Wayne:**

President and Owner of Wayne Industries and Enterprises

Gotham City

Click here to enter Homepage

Simple, but it gave him what he wanted. Yet this site was not what he was looking for entirely, not really. He'd have to dig deeper. Slowly, the hours began to pass as Slade began to search up and read old news reports, google, and wikipedia, while simultaneously hacking into other sources. He barely noticed the time pass though as there were no windows and the only way to tell time was from the clock on the screen in the corner. He remained undisturbed for sometime, but not forever.

A tap on the shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

_"What are you doing?" _

"Work," he put simply.

_"You're back from Luthor's party?"_

"Yes, dull, as always, but I got some work out of it," Slade answered.

_"What work?"_

Too many questions, "You know, I believe that we agreed that you wouldn't come in here in the first place. You never even told me why you made this unexpected trip."

Nothing. He continued, "Why don't you exit my office? Once I can freely start questioning your motives for directly defying our agreement, I think then you can question what I do during my own time."

He felt the gaze of the other watch him and then the monitor. No sound once again, but the sound of a door opening and closing in stealth gave him the solitude that he wanted. It was harsh, yes. But still, he had work and nosy questions were never good in this sort of business. Slade's eye moved back to the screen.

_"Bruce Wayne... Gotham City... inherited possession of... hottest bachelor on the market!... Dating Ms... new car design to be out in... charity donation given by..."_

Tabloids and newspaper articles. It was a start. Somewhat... He needed more... secure details. And if he had to read one more gossip column, he could swear that he was going to lose his lunch. The details found in the files that were restricted and closely monitored by banks, the police, and business were what he needed. It wouldn't be a problem of course, and he could narrow down the tabloids to articles of actual importance soon enough. The only thing was that he wasn't actually interested in doing so. That was Luthor's problem, he may have wanted the best, but that didn't mean that he was actually going to get it the next day or even the next month.

By first glance, Wayne was going to be a hard target. Not only for his social status, but he wasn't a fool, either. Slade could certainly see that. He'd obviously paid someone to put every private document that even related to him in top security. No surprise, but he at least wasn't as mindless as he seemed in the tabloids that told the world he had picked up two blonds and had flown with them to Paris for some grand opening of a restaurant just for kicks. No, Wayne wasn't stupid, even if he acted like it at times. In some ways, that was annoying, but in others, it wasn't. He at least had an excuse for putting it off. This was going to bore him.

Slade stared at the picture of the thirty-something year old billionaire, his hired kill. This was going to be extremely dull and he already knew it. He was procrastinating too, but the mastermind figured that the sooner he got his research done the sooner he could ignore it and give Luthor an estimated date of when he could do it by. First step, security. Total fun, really.

Really not.

-T-

He was right. Bruce didn't wake up till past one in the afternoon when Dick heard him take a shower, alerting Dick to change his clothes so that he wasn't as sloppy looking. In all honesty, Dick didn't exactly think that he looked 'sloppy', but he didn't argue since he realized that most of that came from the comment about his hair being spiked up. In private, Bruce allowed it, but never with guests outside of the superhero community. So, to avoid being told what to do, Dick went up the marble staircase and changed into something more presentable. AKA A collared button down shirt and beige pants.

When he got downstairs, Bruce was waiting and they drove off to Wayne Tower, not really talking. It wasn't that they didn't want talk. It was more so that there was nothing to talk about. Not as Bruce and Dick, anyway. Gotham traffic was horrible. That's what Dick kept thinking as Bruce tapped the steering wheel impassively. Finally, when they got to the Tower, Bruce pulled up to the front and had the valet drive the car around.

Before they got out though, Bruce glanced briefly at him, "the same rules remain."

"Yes, sir," Dick muttered, like he expected them to change. They never did.

The front desk woman greeted them and smiled when she noticed Dick. She looked at him like he was younger than he was and he knew it. It was always like this and, while he admitted that it might have been because he hadn't totally grown yet and was still on the short side, he blamed his combed hair for it. Because this had all happened before, he wasn't angry, and rather, he ignored her and the other secretaries that all seemed to eye Bruce, too. That was the real revolting part. Not that he minded, but it was just the way they did it. It was so obvious that he knew that Bruce would have noticed even if he wasn't the world's greatest detective.

When they finally got up to Bruce's office, Dick let out a sigh of relief and looked around. It had changed to something reflecting a twist in the styles of modern and old fashion. But that's all he bothered to notice before he walked over and sat down, one leg over an arm of the chair and took out his laptop from his bag and got onto AIM. Bruce cleared his throat and Dick sat upright in response. It was funny, almost. They still knew what the other meant when most people wouldn't even get it.

"You changed the place up," Dick commented.

"Renovations," Bruce answered.

Dick tried to at least hold a friendly conversation, even though he knew conversation in itself was an accomplishment. "So, what's Fox been up to? Anything new?"

"Mostly improving our current products," Bruce told him, while glancing over his schedule for the day, "I'm going to be in meetings most of the day. You know the drill. Just stay in here and don't do anything idiotic."

"You say that like you expect me to," Dick said, sarcastically.

"Breaking a Ming vase from China..." Bruce reminded then teen.

"I was ten!" Dick shot back, a bit surprised at the mere mention of the incident, "What do you expect from a ten year old?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed, "Nevertheless, just be smart."

Bruce was true to his word and was in and out of his office for the rest of the day. Dick didn't complain. Actually, he preferred it. The Ming vase... that's just plain dirty bringing something like that up. He was sixteen now for crying out loud. It was years ago. They barely spent three hours there and when they came home, they ate so quickly it shouldn't even have been called 'Dinner'. Silence was really what made everything go by so fast. Talking wasn't needed and wasn't entirely wanted anyway. The only conversation.

"Are you planning on going out tonight?" Bruce asked.

"Yes."

Finally, Bruce finished, as did Dick a couple of seconds later. They got up and went their separate ways to do anything that needed to be done beforehand. It took half and hour before they met back in Bruce's study. Dick had the two communicators in his hand now. Bruce eyed them. He didn't like it when Dick brought those out of the cave below. Dick paid him no heed. That was his choice, not Bruce's.

10:47 PM

That's where Bruce opened the oak wood framed clock and turned the hands to. Automatically, the clock shifted and revealed a long narrow staircase. Bruce went first and Dick followed. It was cold and damp, just like he remembered it. The sudden chill made him fold his arms in an attempt to stay warm. It got darker. If he had not known all of the steps, he might have fallen or tripped. He could barely see Bruce's back anymore. Already the shadows were consuming him. Finally, Dick could see a faint blue glow coming from the bottom of the steps. The two finally emerged on the top level of an awesome structure built inside one of earth's own masterpieces: The Batcave.

Bruce walked instantly the opposite way while Dick turned and headed for the garage where his own bike had his bag on top of it. Grabbing it, he went to his changing room where Alfred had left his uniform resting on top of a bench. He had almost arrived late for the party the other night and so he had rushed to get changed, leaving everything scattered on the floor of the changing room.

After clipping the boots firmly into place, Dick grabbed his mask while looking up in the mirror. He nearly always did this alone, make the change from Dick to Robin. He could become Dick at anytime, but not the other way around. It was normally an expression. A reminder. One that said 'This is why I do this' and also, to an extent, 'This is who I am'. Ever since he was eight, he had had two identities. Two faces. But mostly, they merged together in his own mind. He felt the same either way. Robin was... essence. The purest element that made him, well, him. Dick was the one who took everything that daily life required of him to take.

Slipping on the mask, Robin walked out into the cave where he found Batman waiting for him at the supercomputer. Batman turned to face him, standing upright in acknowledgment of his presence for the briefest of moments. Most people, if they were to see the sight, would either wet their pants, freeze, or stare in awe. Intimidating, cold, unforgiving, calculated, dangerous, powerful. He wasn't human. That's what they saw. That's what everyone else saw.

It wasn't what Robin saw.

He saw a man trying to make the lives of others better. He saw a man, an extraordinary man, who was indeed powerful and dangerous, but there as a refuge, a safe zone to those who followed the law. There was something sad in the truth, too. He also saw that there was no face underneath the cowl. It was how Batman had always thought of Bruce Wayne, the mask. The only hope that Robin saw was that he could still see Bruce, even if it was only by tragedy. He sometimes thought that he was alone in this. He probably was.

He saw a man that had offered him refuge, a place to cry, and a person to become.

He saw his mentor. A mentor with whom he was fighting with.

Batman turned back to the computer and motioned for Robin to come over. One thing that he had realized when he came was that he was going back to being second in command. He never minded that as a kid, but now, it was harder because he felt more restraint, a lack of trust. It was the original reason why he had left.

"Do you have any of your own plans tonight?" his mentor asked gruffly.

"Tagging along with you?" Robin asked, dully.

Batman didn't look at him. He wasn't even listening to him. There was an incoming signal from the police and that took priority. Getting up, he jumped into the Batmobile. Robin jumped in as well and let the seat belt buckle automatically. This was one perk to being here. The car. He had to admit, he loved it. Not to degrade Cyborg's baby or anything, but this thing was by far the hottest set of wheels on the road. End of story.

There was a sudden jolt and Robin felt himself being pressed into the back of the seat as the engine ignited and shot them full speed ahead. Again, they didn't talk. Besides, it only took two minutes to get there. The car sped to a stop where the dynamic duo jumped out and the car switched to auto-pilot in the process. When he got out, Robin could clearly see Commissioner Gordon standing on the rooftop. Shooting up a grapple, he got up there first.

"Commissioner Gordon, what can we do for you?" he asked.

James Gordon looked over to see the young teenager standing on the ledge, "Didn't know you were in town."

"Specific case," Batman said, coming out of the shadows, "What's the problem?"

Gordon sighed, "Man-Bat, he got out of his cell in Arkham. Some guard was listening to a radio or something."

This was a little awkward for Gordon. He hated having to ask Batman to cover their blunders, but at the same time, he realized that Batman never held a grudge for it.

"Give your information to Robin, I'm going to see if I can track him down," Batman answered and jumped over the rooftop to who knows where.

Robin sighed. It figures that he'd get the file work. He normally would have complained, but he could catch up later, not that Batman actually expected him to. Plus, he hadn't talked to Gordon in a while anyway. They could catch up or rather catch up on as much as they could, secrets remaining secrets.

"So, you're saying that it was a CD player that made him go whacked?" Robin asked, walking over.

"Yes, you know how sensitive his ears are, they pick up..."

"...just about everything?" Robin finished, "Yeah, I thought as much. So basically it triggered that primal sense in him and he was able to transform once again."

"That's basically it, yes," Gordon answered, "Here's a copy of the file and the evidence is always open to you if you need it."

Robin took the file and browsed through it. The frown on his face only came because he knew that Batman _could_ have waited just three minutes. But he didn't, and made him do that by himself. Gordon seemed to notice the look on Robin's face and broke the silence.

"Your team, I've read about them. Impressive," he commented.

"Huh? Oh," Robin said looking up at the Commissioner, "Yeah, it's going great out in Jump. The team's really getting edge and it's just been great now that people are actually starting to take us seriously. How's Barbara doing? Still in college, right?"

"She's alright, going through some transfers. Didn't like Gotham University," Gordon said, "She could have gotten a scholarship with her gymnastic skills, but she dropped out right before she could have tried out for it. A shame, but she doesn't seem to hampered by it."

The truth was, Barbara didn't try out because Batman had told her not to. The alleged Batgirl was on a break for college and that's why she wasn't around. Otherwise, Robin was sure that he might have not been left behind because of the dirty look Batgirl would have given Batman for doing so. The fact that she was not his ward and did not entirely have to follow his rules was always a hassle to Bruce, but proved helpful at times when she and Robin had wanted to prove their points. Needless to say though, Gordon knew nothing of this.

"That's good to hear," Robin answered, "Well, I'd better catch up to Batman, see ya soon, Commissioner."

Gordon watched as the young man ran over to the side. He half expected to hear a yell of enthusiasm, but instead heard nothing but the distant 'huht' as Robin pushed himself over in a leap and fell gracefully down into the shadows of the city skyscrapers in perfect form. He smiled. The kid was growing up. Quietly, Gordon shut off the signal and went inside to wait for news.

Robin waited in an alley until his R-cycle came around. It took only minutes, but it allowed him to just take a minute and enjoy Gotham's twilight hours. Breathtaking. That's what that time of night was. Soon, he heard the vroom of the R-Cycle's engine and jumped on as it sped around the corner. Following Batman's homer signal, he soon caught sight of Batman tailing Man-Bat in a glider chase above. Robin stepped on the gas. They were heading for a bridge. Accelerating even more, Robin jumped onto the bike and began riding up the sides. The wind against his face increased and as his focus narrowed, he felt adrenaline pumping through his body.

He was alive.

Man-Bat was paying close attention to his follower from the air and his heightened senses proved to be his downfall. There was a split second in which the bike was suspended in air before Robin leaped off of it while shooting himself through the air at a calculated speed, trying to go with the wind. Langstrom didn't notice until too late, when the two collided. The sound came back with Man-Bat's squeal. Batman quickly veered upward and held himself steady, only to look down and see Man-Bat squealing and falling, unable to support the added weight that was Robin. Robin began to tie Langstrom up.

Batman lowered himself down as he watched Robin shoot three grapples out at the bridge. Tying the ends to Man-Bat, the two quickly swung around and ended up underneath the bridge. The chase was over. Done. Complete, exactly as it should have been done. Exactly as he had been trained to do. Robin shook his head and jumped to underside of the bridge where he saw his mentor land, an obvious scowl on his face.

"What did you want me to do?" Robin asked, flinging his arms out, "It's what you would have done! It's not like Joker busted him out, anyway."

Robin pointed an accusing finger at Batman, but brought his arm down as Batman stepped closer to him, "You don't know that do you?"

Robin refused to look at him in the eye. This was really the only disappointment he could take. The one where Batman was mad at him for doing exactly what he would have done in the same situation. Yes, Batman could have just been tailing Man-Bat to see if he'd go anywhere special, but in the end, that could have easily been a trap as well. But that wasn't why the Dark Knight was disappointed. Batman said nothing before walking past him and looking over at Langstrom. Robin knew why he was mad. Or rather, not mad, but irritated. By doing that little stunt, his bike could have easily veered off of the bridge lines, hitting someone or a car below.

But he knew that. He had done the same thing tons of times. That's why _he_ was mad. He'd done it and Batman still didn't trust him with it. And he probably never would at this rate. Gordon came by within twenty minutes, but by that time they were long gone. Riding his bike into the cave, Robin turned off the engine. Shaking his head, he walked over to the Batmobile where the left door was opening.

Handing the file over he said, "You're welcome oh, great, hero of the night."

"Turn it off," Batman shot back and took the file. He got out, his long cape sweeping the floor as Robin sighed once out of earshot. He can't quip anything anymore without making him mad. It was a joke, for crying out loud. His communicator rang and he pulled it out.

"Titans, what's up?" he asked, walking over to the stairwell leading back up to the computer.

"Dude! Help! Cyborg's trying to kick my butt and Raven won't do anything abo...!" Beast Boy yelled suddenly transforming into a turtle when Cyborg entered the scene.

"Guys, I'll be back tomorrow. Run to Starfire if you have to," he began.

"Don't give the rascal any hint of escape!" Cy yelled.

"Just let me get back there and find the Tower in one... piece..." Robin closed his communicator as he saw Batman glaring at him from the side. Silence, right.

"They're asking you to settle an argument?" he asked.

Robin straightened his posture, "Nothing big, just a phone call really."

Disapproval. Robin's eyes narrowed under the mask, "Look, you can stop giving me those looks. I'm gonna be gone tomorrow and I know you'll be happy about it anyway."

Ripping off the mask, Dick walked back to the changing room with all intentions of doing anything but talking to Batman for the rest of the night. In fact, sleep actually sounded like a good thing for once. Batman did nothing but continued to read over the file. When he got up to his room, Dick slammed the door shut. If there was anything that he wanted now more than ever, it was to be anywhere but here. Anywhere. He ripped off his shirt and kicked off his shoes before falling onto his bed. The night crept on. Hours...

Dick hit the alarm clock and got up. Five in the morning. Good. Bruce wouldn't be up at this time. He grabbed his bags that he had packed the previous night. He'd change probably somewhere on the road. He began to carry his stuff down the steps, looking around. He wasn't going to say good-bye. He hadn't before. And after last night, it was out of the question. He did feel bad about leaving and not saying bye to Alfred, though. So, making a quick stop in the kitchen, he dropped off a letter just saying thanks and that he'd keep in touch.

Again opening the old grandfather clock and putting the hands at 10:47 PM, Dick opened the passage way downstairs. He grabbed his uniform and put it in a backpack, while stuffing his bags into the seat of his motorcycle in camouflage mode. The place was quiet. From above, he could hear the bats squeaking a bit. Unnoticed coming in, unnoticed coming out. It made things easier this way. He grabbed his helmet and pulled it over his head. It fit snugly and held him tightly as though trying to brace him for the sensation that was about to come.

He swung his leg over the handle bars, letting the gears shift at his touch. And with that, he suddenly shot off towards the holographic wall leaving only the sounds of the engine's echo and a bunch of squealing bats. He felt his gray T whipping around him as the wind speed increased. It hit him everywhere, waking him fully. He didn't look back. Wayne Manor had been his home. Had being the key word. It really wasn't anymore. Home was where his friends were. Home for him, well, it was a big tower shaped like a 'T' and that's exactly where he was going.

-T-

It had taken nearly all night, but finally, he had gotten to the last topic. Personal History. A compilation of defining moments in Mr. Bruce Wayne's life. Like there would be much of any. From what he had seen so far, he wasn't surprised by what he found and didn't expect to be. Wayne seemed to be the type of business owner who actually had his head on straight... unlike Luthor. He had nothing against Luthor, except for the fact that he could be annoying. But when you add in the fact that he is regularly trying to destroy the Man of Steel at least three times a week while the chances of that were one in a billion, well, Wayne looked sane and competent.

He'd already known about Wayne's parents being killed. Crime Alley, sounded like a real friendly place. Age eight. That had to be hard, but it explained all of the charities. After his parents died, he was taken in by Alfred Pennyworth, the butler of the family. The picture of the young child from the paper was haunting to anyone. Tear stains. You could see the black and white tear stains. You could see the dirt on his clothes and face. You could see it. It was scary almost, disturbing. A child that young crying for such a reason... A clear call saying "What has the world done?" Well, at least he'd get the chance to say hi to his parents after this.

He liked to travel and do speed racing. Not uncommon at all, at least for the people who could afford that kind of stuff. He traveled across Asia, Africa, everywhere from the looks of it. Gone for at least seven years. Couldn't blame him for it. Who'd want to stay in Gotham for that long after what happened? Must have come back to deal with the family business. Seize the day, that was almost his motto for the next several years. Nothing new except for what Wayne Industries put out.

Slade clicked on a link. A bunch of pictures of Wayne at charity events and special events popped up. He began to quickly scan through them, reading the captions at the bottom. It became boring looking at Wayne just smiling so care free that when a new person came into view, he almost missed it. Almost.

About two thirds of the way through, a boy, not even a teenager, a boy, came into the pictures, repeatedly. Black hair, blue eyes, the biggest grin on his face, he looked like Wayne, but he didn't. He finally found a caption that told him the boy's name: Richard or "Dick" Grayson. He was familiar... Slade google searched Richard "Dick" Grayson, the year, and clicked photos. The result made his eye widen for the first time in hours.

Just cover the eyes...

Slade stopped the massive search and pulled up another giant file labeled "Jump City". Inside, he clicked, "Teen Titans", and again inside, "Robin, the Boy Wonder", who some would say was his arch-enemy. A photo jumped up to the screen and Slade couldn't tear his eye away. He remembered a time when the boy had worn his colors and had been his apprentice. He had almost been able to force the boy to call him 'master'. Almost. If it hadn't been for his friends' interruption. The boy was incredible. A skilled marksman, a one-man SWAT team, detective, martial artist, leader, and he had all of the potential in the world. The perfect prodigy. How he hated him for getting away, for ruining everything, for being the only flaw in his plans.

He brought up Grayson's photograph again. Same facial structure, same hair, same complexion, even the same ears for crying out loud. Slade googled searched "Richard Grayson" and was rewarded by titles such as "Haly's Circus", "Flying Graysons Murder", "Wayne's Charity Case Of The Year", and more. He clicked the second. The boy's parents were dead.

Slade stopped and leaned back in his chair. Richard's parents were dead. Wayne's parents were dead. Both murdered. Gone for seven years. A trained acrobat. Robin was Richard Grayson, Bruce Wayne's ward and that could only mean. Batman. He had been hired to kill Batman. Batman. Batman! The irony in it. It took a moment to process. Maybe Wayne's murder wouldn't be so dull. Maybe he had been wrong. This time, he hoped that he would be. And maybe, just maybe, this could work to his advantage.

A smile spread across his masked lips. It was a good thing that Luthor had given him so much time to complete this contract. He'd need it. The gears started to turn faster in his head now. Killing Batman. Wow, the concept of it all... He actually had to fight to suppress the laugh growing in his throat. Robin's world was about to be sent for spin.

This was going to be fun.

-T-

**A/N:** Okay, so this is probably the only time I've ever laughed insanely at one of my own chapter endings. (No, I'm not insane, I assure you). But what did you think? Please review! No, I'm not explaining everything quite yet. You have to wait for that and keep reading. No, I don't think I'm being unfair about it either and you can't convince me otherwise. Part Two is coming next with chapter three! Later!

Rena


	3. Chapter 3: Coming Home Pt 2

**Disclaimer:** Can you believe it? They just told me the sad news. I don't actually own Teen Titans or DC Comics! Ah, it hurts. Now let me go cry about it...

**Author's Note:** Alright, I'm back from crying about not owning anything. Okay, I swear, I've never gotten such awesome reviews for anything, like, ever. You guys are just way awesome, I mean, wow. Thank you! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story so far. Now that we've established Gotham... There's another spot of Robin's life that we've yet to visit: Jump City. So, I won't keep you any longer from reading about our favorite teen heroes. "Chapter Three: Coming Home"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part Two: The Teens' City**

**Chapter Three: Coming Home**

The one thing about mountains is that you can never see past them until you reach the top. They would be a road block if there was no such things as the highways of today's infrastructures. The shadows were still long even though it was mid-afternoon, but the air was fresh and the smell of pine trees filled the air. He had changed a couple hours ago, out in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't just waltz right back home looking like Dick Grayson, after all. That wasn't who lived there according to the public. The good thing was that Gotham was now hours behind him. The engine started to make less of a protest as he reached the top of the hill and looked over to see Jump.

It was incredible. Bright, ready for the world. Jump City was warm; the sun actually hit you while you were walking on the sidewalks. It was friendly. And coming from cold and dark Gotham, well, it was by far an improvement. So much so, Robin almost felt that he could compare it to Metropolis. He looked out over the bay, over to the tower, which stood proudly watching over the city. The water glistened reflecting the warm, yet refreshing waters off of the California coast. The beaches were clean along the far sides of the bay while a small, but perfect boardwalk lay right before the outer area. The waves hit the legs supporting the structure, where he knew were clams and other sea life that only Aqualad would deal with.

The bridge led across town and past the oil rig outside of the bay. He laughed in his head about the two times that they had had to fight out there. Both annoying at the moment, but hilarious to look back on. Cars made traffic heavy as they attempted to get past the long bridge and into the city. A gray and opal coloring covered most of the buildings in the area. Some steel outer structures were also present, hoping to have a little more protection from the super-powered fights that could break out at random. Some areas of Jump were merely suburbs, the city was so young. Children would be getting out of school with their loving parents there waiting to pick them up. At least innocence was still here in some parts.

Opposite the suburbs on the other side of town were older, brick buildings that seemed to resemble Gotham's. Abandoned for the most part, or made into bars and dance clubs. It was an area that he was only familiar with because he would always stop by in hopes that he could make it a little safer. Nearly always, there was some college woman who was going home alone after going to a dance and some creep would attempt to mug her that needed a little reminder of lady justice. So, needless to say, he never neglected to make a stop in that area of town during the weekends.

Downtown was growing swiftly, a couple buildings going up slowly. With a rich center of shops, there was a small store for nearly every person's interests. Cafes and restaurants, sports and clothes stores, whatever, it was all there with a wide range of prices. It was young, with many colleges skirting around attempting to start up or barely on their feet. But it was by no means weak. The city shone and radiated a tall, confident posture, as though wanting to challenge the threats, the dangers of the world. The challenge was taken up, as the newspapers so excitedly told the public, and that's why there was a structure in the middle of the bay that seemed to reflect the very feeling of what Jump City was. The tower rose above everything. It shot up to _make_ the world see it. And see it they did, in the shape of a giant 'T'. Titans Tower.

Home.

The smile spread onto his face. Yes, this was his home. The place itself didn't make it so. The people did. His friends...A loud '_boom'_ made his head turn to the commotion downtown. A loud explosion had erupted downtown near the smallest district of the shops. There was no time to be mesmerized anymore. Like that, the R-Cycle began to carry it's occupant towards the city.

"Quit makin' me a Brit!"

"The change is quite marvelous in you actually." Mad Mod spoke in his crisp British accent.

Reflecting on the fact that Beast Boy's manners seemed to surface whenever he was a 'Brit', Raven inwardly agreed. So reluctantly, she messed up Beast Boy's hair and hit him on the head for the third time in the past hour. That actually was quite nice; she liked that part, the hitting him part, not the messing up his hair part. Who know what different types of animal hair were hiding up there?

The man was quite an opponent, with the spirit of the youth that was stuck in the past. The only problem was that he liked to call the Revolution a hoax and that the American flag looked ridiculous when it waved. An enthusiast, Mad Mod never ceased to get on every one's nerves, even his own "jolly good" Queen of Britain. It was honestly an embarrassment, but Mad Mod was too wrapped up in his own little world to notice.

Cyborg brought his sonic canon up and fired at the plane that Mad Mod was flying, "Oh, you picked the wrong day to be dropping bombs on this town!"

Mad Mod swerved out of the way of a couple sonic blasts and laughed. Or at least, he laughed until he saw Starfire flying right at him, her fist raised with a starbolt. With a yell, Starfire slammed forward and punched the old war plane right in the nose, the starbolt frying the engine. Starfire looked around the falling debris, which Raven began to catch telekinetically, for Mad Mod.

"Nice try, my duckies," Mad Mod said, as he was landing on a nearby roof, "But that was pathetic!"

About ten of his robots appeared from behind him, all armed with World War II weapons with the intent of blowing the Titans out of existence. Mad Mod sat down on the side of the building just smiling at them.

"Good luck, kiddies," he said.

"Aw, man!!!" Beast Boy yelled, "How many of those stupid things does he have?"

"Don't know, don't care," Cyborg yelled, "Just blow 'em to bits!"

"You don't need to tell us twice," Raven said, her eyes beginning to glow white.

Each Titan began to take on about two or more robots at once. Raven began to blow them apart, sending big pieces over to Cyborg so that he could use them to disarm his lot. Beast Boy ran at them, switching from slicing through the armor and later destroying them from the inside like a mouse. Starfire began to blast and rip the arms and legs off, attempting to keep them from being able to move or be able to shoot anything. They were almost done, but Mad Mod wasn't willing for that to go down that easily. Pressing down on the top of his cane, the robot facing Beast Boy automatically turned it's chest into a hypnosis screen. Instantly, for the fourth time, Beast Boy stopped his actions, like a nice package just waiting to be stomped upon.

"Beast Boy! Don't! Ah!" Cyborg called, but he let his guard down for one minute and that's all it took for the robot to throw him against a wall, effectively disarming him for the moment.

Raven gasped at the unexpected new opponent while her previous enemy was rounding on her as well, "What?"

She gasped as she felt her cloak being grabbed as the robot threw her into the ground. Raven groaned as she looked up to see Starfire shooting up to avoid the shots now focusing on her. This was not going to be good.

Mad Mod laughed, "You're all worthless without your lousy lea...der?"

Something powerful roared forward, heading right at Mad Mod. The air seemed to suspend the R-Cycle in mid air as Robin looked over to catch Mad Mod's eye. He smiled and Mad Mod didn't need a telling twice to run for his life.

"Titans, Go!"

Raven and Cyborg began to get up as Starfire's face brightened. Beast Boy, well, he still was sort of out of it. Robin landed in front of Mad Mod's escape route. Mad Mod stopped and began backing towards the edge of the roof.

"Now, now, Govena', let's not be hasty. I'm just an old man who's a little crazy in the head. Just like old times?" Mad Mod said, nervously.

"You know," Robin said, taking off his helmet, "I'm really sick of 'old times' right now."

With a yell, Robin ran up, grabbed Mod by his shirt and brought him to the ground, "I'll take that."

Mod grimaced as Robin took away the cane and put him in cuffs. After bringing Beast Boy back to the land of the conscious, the others joined Robin on the roof.

"Robin!" Starfire said as she quickly flew over to give him one of her infamous bone-crushing hugs, "You are back! How was the City of Gotham? Did you have the fun? But you are back! Oh! We missed you so much!"

Robin was one of the few who would and could put up with Starfire's hugs, "I'm back, Star, I'm back, but I still need to breathe."

Starfire let go of him, still smiling. The others came around, the guys giving him high fives and Raven giving only a simple nod. Mad Mod just simply rolled his eyes thinking that his luck would only have it that this would happen. The sirens came and soon, Mad Mod was taken back into custody of the police.

The group now standing side by side was the one thing that made Jump City different from any other. It made it, for Robin, also different in terms of what was considered 'normal'. By a civilian's standards, even he was a little out of the ordinary. His team, the Teen Titans, were by no means or by any reason some club formed as a "junior Justice League". No, the Titans were formed out of a friendship. It wasn't an intentional friendship when it was formed, but a friendship nonetheless.

It had been awkward in the beginning. Everyone was so different, different interests, different tastes, different cultures... To some extent, some could say they were a bit 'weird', but maybe that's why they were so accepting. They each knew the impact of being different from the rest of society. They were each different and only together did they find that being different just came with the territory. Besides, with a changeling, a cyborg, a witch, an alien, and a detective, different was not uncommon.

"I say we order vegetarian pizza to celebrate!" Beast Boy exclaimed, turning into a dog afterwords barking loudly.

"Look, I don't care what type of pizza we get as long as we actually get it within the next half hour," Robin replied.

"Fine by me," Cyborg said, "Race you to P.I. Z. Z.A."

"Winner gets to choose the toppings," Beast Boy said, before turning into a cheetah and racing ahead.

"Hey, we never agreed on the terms!" Cyborg yelled, before grabbing his car and speeding on ahead leaving the other three Titans behind.

"Okay..." Raven trailed off.

"Let 'em go ahead. I'll order a regular pizza for delivery," Robin said, smiling, "I have to go unpack my stuff and by that time we can eat."

"That sounds like a reasonable plan," Raven said, "Meet you back at the tower."

Robin raised a brow and looked over at Starfire, "She has been a bit, oh, what is the word? Moody lately. Friends Beast Boy and Cyborg have been a bit more irritating than normal while you were gone."

"Got it," Robin said, "You can fly back if you want, I'll be there in a minute."

"Oh, but you must tell me of your trip! I have never been to your Gotham before," Starfire said, walking beside him to his bike which was now on solid ground once again.

Robin laughed, thinking how much he missed Star's curiosity. "Alright, Star, want a ride, then?"

Starfire beamed and hopped onto the bike behind him. Once they reached mid-town, where the wave of Mad Mod's destruction hadn't hit, he finally had to slow down for traffic. People apparently were going back to the suburbs for dinner. Turning to look behind him, he began to answer Star's questions.

"Gotham was okay. Not much going on and the party couldn't have been more boring. I stopped Man-Bat, though, from rampaging through the city," Robin said.

"But I thought that the 'Bat' was who you worked for, yes?" Starfire asked.

"Yes, but this was a different bat, Star. I worked for Batman. This guy was the other way around." Robin explained.

They were able to clear traffic and gain some speed. Starfire felt her hair whip behind her and she held on tighter as Robin sped up. Robin's 'motorcycle' was invigoratingly scary at certain speeds, but she was always sure that he would keep her safe. Ever since his one accident, Robin had practiced and practiced at riding his cycle until he perfected it. Perfect... It was everything that she thought he was and everything that he tried so hard to be.

Soon they rode over the bridge to the tower. They could feel and smell the salty sea air around them. The large building loomed overhead, becoming larger and larger as they went. The 'T' shaped tower's modern grandeur shone against the sunlight. Silver streaked the glass that covered the front half of the building while trees reached up about two stories high. That was almost like a pixie's size compared to the tower. The dirt path in the front led down to the beach while the one in the back led to the bridge that they were crossing. The tower seemed to reach for the sky, while the glass windows seemed watchful. Watchful protectively, watchful in admiration.

They rode up the trail to the front and then went to the back. Robin sped to a stop in the garage. He felt, for a small moment, Star's arms holding him tightly around his waist. He would never say it out loud, but he liked it. She let go and lifted herself off of the bike as he took off his helmet.

"Then your trip was enjoyable?" she asked, afloat in the air as he jumped off himself.

Robin sighed and answered, "As enjoyable as it could be."

"Was there something disappointing?" Starfire questioned, her brows up in slight worry.

Robin grabbed his bags and lifted them up as Star took one as well. "Not, disappointing, just really irritating. I didn't exactly want to go in the first place, but when duty calls and all that jazz, you know?"

"But I thought Gotham was your home?" Star said, confused as she landed and they walked over to the elevator where they set down the bags.

Robin looked over at her. Being from Tamaran, a distant planet in the Vegan Star system, Starfire was still not familiar with all of Earth's customs so most often, Robin would be the one to take the time and explain Earth to her. Most of her etiquette came from her being raised in a palace, which, as Robin had seen, really was gorgeous. Starfire, herself, was what some would call a golden beauty. She had tan skin, red hair, and bright green eyes. She was curious, ready to learn, and loved being on Earth. It was a planet that she felt that she could call home. And she'd defend it and her friends at all costs. Battle, it was something she was also familiar with, and honestly, good at.

Starfire's powers were an emotional power core. She could produce Starbolts with her hands and Star-lasers with her eyes. She was also incredibly strong, could fly, and also was more resistant to pain than most mere humans were, a side effect from being an alien on Earth. Being emotional for her though, it was a way of life. She was considerate, caring, and full of a certain spark in her eye. And there was just... There was just something about her that made Robin relax a bit and smile. It was just like that, without any explanation necessary.

Robin smiled, "Star, I'm home right now."

Starfire's eyebrows raised, but dipped down and she blushed. She loved that genuine smile of his. They got to the top level and brought his bags into his room. Robin switched on a light and found it just as neat as he had left it. Then again, it was always neat. The red sheets were still made on his bed, which was nearly flat. His book shelf was organized by subject and then by author and then by length.

Meanwhile, a safe was in the corner that was stock full of supplies ranging from Asian weaponry to the most high tech weapons of the day, excluding any form of a gun. He, like his mentor, didn't believe in using them. In his closet were his uniforms and belts and masks. The only thing that wasn't always neat and orderly was his desk, but before he had left, he had seen to it that even that was clean, too. That's just how neat it was. It was probably Alfred telling him to clean his room up all the time when he was a kid that made him so picky about how his room was and how it wasn't. He sighed.

"I will just leave you to do your unpacking then," Starfire said, placing his bag down by his door and pulling a stray hair back behind her ear.

She turned to go when he spoke to her, "Hey Star?"

Starfire turned, "Yes, Robin?"

For a moment he paused, but soon he found his words again, "Um, well, it's good to be home."

Starfire smiled and gave him a hug. Best friends, that's what they were. She was glad he was home too. They broke apart and Star left him alone to unpack. Robin sighed and picked up the phone in his room. He had promised a normal pizza for Raven. After apologizing for Cyborg and Beast Boy who had apparently been holding up the line, he ordered a regular pizza and told the cashier to put it on the same bill.

Sighing, Robin pulled his bags over to his bed and threw them on top. He easily unpacked since he was very efficient at that sort of thing. It was something he had picked up when he was younger. Emptying a bag of civilian clothing, Robin moved on to the next two bags. Most of the second bag was new equipment. Birdarangs, bo-staffs, smoke pellets, freeze disks, the whole lot of it plus some new uniforms (like he needed more). Finally, out came from the final bag the electronics and files. The special equipment that had cost Bruce a fortune that he wouldn't have been able to earn in ten years. The files he left out on his desk for later. He still had to look over them.

The last thing to come out was his laptop. The bags now empty, Robin stuffed them in his closet. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to make a trip anywhere for a long time. Grabbing the laptop, Robin brought it over to his desk and plugged it in. This thing seemed to have over a thousand passwords. A security feature, something that he had installed himself. Finally, he was able to open up the screen without making the thing shudder and die on him.

There was still a lot of work to do. Not only did he have to add in the files, but there were the taxes, the bills... and he still had to check his email. The files were simple. Most of them had no change whatsoever, except for the summary at the bottom. A couple years could do that. As he continued, he pulled up some emails with video feed and listened to them intently making side notes for himself later on. Most of the videos were just summaries of crimes that had happened or big time things like Luthor's announcement to the public after he got released from jail. That story was one that Robin still found utterly ridiculous. Finally, he was able to get done with the files. A new email popped onto the screen from the J.C.P.D. Only a yell stopped him from doing so.

"Get back here you grass stain!" Cyborg yelled three hallways away.

"Robin!" Beast Boy said, barely able to open the door before slamming into it, "Come on, he won the Pizza, it's my turn for a movie choice."

The youngest member of the team, Beast Boy, would have been the class clown if they had been in school. Then again every one of them was a little isolated. With a sense of humor by his side, Beast Boy was always ready to smile, laugh, or be laughed at in some cases just to make others' faces brighten up. Perhaps that was the best thing about him too. He just wanted people to smile, to not look on the downside of things.

His name reflected his abilities and his appearance, like the rest of the Titans, allowed people to pick him out of a crowd in a matter of seconds. Pointed ears, long canine teeth, green skin, eyes, and hair were all side effects really. He wasn't sure why they were, but they were and that was fine with him as long as he could transform into any animal he wanted to be. Being a changeling was something that Beast Boy loved and would never give that ability up for the world.

Robin leaned back in his chair and sighed, "You know, Beast Boy, I think that it's actually _my_ turn to pick a movie."

"What?" Beast Boy practically screamed, "Oh no, there's no way that you're..."

"Sounds good to me. I'm sick of his lame-brained comedies," Cy commented, coming in.

Robin got up and the three left for the main room, "I'm not picking a sci-fi movie either."

"But there's action! You know you love action," Cyborg quickly argued back.

"Look, they're just too unrealistic for me, Cy," Robin answered back.

"Oh, just because you've gotten to hang out in the Fortress of Solitude, you think you know what's real sci-fi and what's not," Cyborg argued back.

"Yes," Robin answered smugly.

They entered the main room where the two had left the pizza which was sitting on the counter near Star. They could smell the sausage and cheese, but something else was threatening the atmosphere with it's scent as well. Was Star... cooking?

"What's that smell?" Beast Boy asked.

"Star's getting out all of her 'necessary' ingredients," Raven answered in a monotone.

"For what?" He asked back.

"A traditional Tamaranian dish to celebrate the return of a friend!" Star exclaimed, leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy starring daggers at Robin, who quickly attempted to oblige to their demands.

"Um, hey, Starfire, it's okay, really. I had plenty of food that was, uh, fancy, and yeah. I'm really just in the mood for some pizza and grease food, you know?" He told her gently, trying to find the right words so she wouldn't be hurt.

"Are you positive? I mean, for once I was able to find everything needed for such a dish," She asked him.

Robin paled a bit, gulped, and smiled, "No, it's okay. I don't want you to do all of that for me."

Starfire shrugged and began to put away her ingredients while the others looked at Robin as though saying 'We owe you one for that.' Normally, Robin actually didn't mind Star cooking her food and he'd even be nice and actually try it on occasion, to his stomach's dismay. It was when she attempted to get the others to eat any of it that things started to go beyond 'fine'. It was still mid-afternoon by the time they finished the pizza, Beast Boy passing since none of it was vegan-friendly. As they sat around the table, Robin told them about his trip, or as much as he could. They still had never seen him without his mask off. It was something he had promised to Bruce and to be fair, Bruce kept up the same deal. Only Superman and Wonder Woman had ever seen him without his mask on.

"Yes!" Robin repeated for the third time, "Caviar! I did eat it."

"Sick, man! That's just sick," Cyborg said.

Beast Boy looked like his was going to puke, "Dude, you know that they're all unborn little eggs of fish, right?"

"Please, why does this food source sicken people so?" Starfire asked, "It sounds like a delicacy."

"It's supposed to be, but it's not," Robin told her, "It's just something most people find really nasty to eat and the only reason why they eat it is because they're being polite. Then they do it so often that they end up liking it."

"Oh," Starfire said, a little less confused.

"That's still disgusting, man. Do you even like the stuff?" Cyborg asked.

Robin leaned back, "It's not bad, it's just not my first choice."

"First choice?" Beast Boy gasped, "More like no choice. I don't even know why they have..."

At that, the door opened to the main room and the four of them looked up to see Raven walking in, her hood on and the scent of lavender vanilla radiating off of her from the candles and incense that she had been burning in her room. She met eyes with each of them and then went towards the kitchen where she pulled out a bag of herbal tea and one of her white mugs.

"Hey Raven, there's still some left over pizza. Want some?" Beast Boy offered.

"Maybe later," She answered, not looking over at him.

She was the enigma of the group. The one who didn't want to talk much about herself and would spend more time meditating than anything else. Her powers were also an emotional vacuum and were so sensitive she tended to be blunt or else quiet. To be honest, she was probably the most powerful of the group, but her restraint was more to keep her powers from going haywire.

The timer beeped signaling that the water was warm enough. Raven was the mystic of the group, and was able to perform old spells, charms, and enchants from old books and scrolls. But when Raven did come out of her corner, out of her dark room, and pull off the hood of her blue cloak to reveal her purple hair, indigo eyes, and pale skin, (as she did right now) she tended to be serious and always had something important, and often deep, to say. Or in this case, she did so to smell her herbal tea, the smell, warm and inviting.

"Did you choose a movie yet, Robin?" she asked, without real interest.

"Um, I was thinking something like Pirates," he said, "Keeps everyone happy."

"'Cept me," Cyborg said, "Where's the sci-fi in that?"

Robin rolled his eyes even though they couldn't see it, "How about attachment to their version of the modern day vehicle, 'A Ship'?"

Cyborg thought for a moment and then nodded, "Okay, fine, fine. Just not the second one."

Raven nodded and took a sip of her tea, "You seemed stressed when you first came back."

Robin looked at her and sighed, "Gotham can do that."

Walking over to the table, Raven sat down next to Starfire and churned her tea with her spoon, "Everything went fine while you were gone. Nothing too big happened. I filed the two bank robberies, one by Doctor Light and the other by Control Freak. We stopped them within minutes."

"Thanks for that," Robin replied; he had asked Raven to take over filing reports while he was gone.

"I put the files on your desk, I'm guessing that you noticed," It wasn't a question, just a comment.

"Yeah, I saw them," Robin told her, "Again thanks for doing that."

Raven merely nodded leaving the table dead of conversation. After business talk, it can be hard to get back to other subjects. She seemed to notice this, but wasn't quiet sure of how to fix it. Cyborg was the one who was able to lead them all back to the conversation they were having beforehand.

"Well, it's practically dark now so we could watch the movie now," he said, "Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it."

"Not it!"

Starfire looked at her four friends who had their fingers on their noses, "Um, it?"

The others smiled as Beast Boy laughed, "Okay, that wasn't fair."

"I'll help you with the dishes, Star," Raven said.

Star was still confused, but got up with Raven to do the dishes. The boys walked over and began to rip through their collections to find their copy of Pirates (They had at least four). Once the lights were dimmed and they had a large bowl of popcorn on the table, the Titans sat down to watch.

By nine thirty the movie ended and the teens each had a different expression on their face. Cyborg was still pretty bored by the whole thing; knowing computer graphic designs can do that to a person. Raven had actually put her book down. Beast Boy's smile showed that he still wanted to laugh at the last scene and Starfire was slowly easing out from Robin's cape. Robin was much more relaxed and was about to get up when Beast Boy grabbed the remote.

"Dude, the last part!"

"There is a 'last part'?" Starfire asked.

Skipping the credits, they ended up seeing the cursed treasure at which Starfire started to hide behind Robin's cape again. And for good reason, the undead monkey had a way of freaking her out.

"Oh, I hate that monkey," she said once it was over.

"It's all fake, Star," Robin told her, "Cyborg could create a monkey like that if he wanted to."

Star didn't like that idea at all and answered, "Your versions of the dead being 'un' are most disturbingly scary."

Robin laughed, "That's the point of it, though."

"Then it is doing its job marvelously," Starfire answered.

Raven finally got up, "It's late, we should go to bed."

"I'm staying up," Beast Boy announced, "New show coming out tonight at eleven and I have to rate it."

Raven rolled her eyes as the others nodded. The girls got up and headed back to their branch of the tower while the two other boys went their to their own rooms. Silence is horrible in some ways, isn't it? Conversation always tend to lead to unexpected questions when sparked by silence.

"So..." Cyborg dragged out, "Get to ride in the car?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Robin answered, "He upgraded it to a maximum of 266 miles per hour."

"You gotta be kidding me," Cyborg replied and Robin shook his head, "I can't upgrade fast enough then."

"He's got... support in that area, though, don't feel bad. I honestly think that he just likes the thrill of it," Robin answered.

"Too fast to notice the feel, then?"

"Guess so," Robin said.

Cyborg was like that. He loved talking tech, which could only be expected since he was half robot. Since a freak-accident, Cyborg had to have most of his body replaced with robotics. Most of which, thanks to... funding, were the top of the line in quality and allowed for Cyborg's strength to not only be increased, but also allow him to create on either arm, a sonic cannon. Depending on how he landed, he was also able to put up more of a fight before he actually felt pain. His metal barely ever scratched beyond repair and even when it did, there was always an easy replacement for it.

A genius with wires. That was Cy for ya. He could make anything happen, even the supposedly impossible. But for all of that, he still was an athlete at heart. It was one of the reasons he liked being a Titan. They could 'compete' against opponents that they were matched for. His motto seemed to be 'good game, man' and 'I'm giving one hundred and ten percent'. He looked out for them like that. Play it hard, and it we lost, we'll get 'em next time. The big brother, the oldest, the tin man with a heart.

They stopped when they reached Robin's room, "Things have been calming down lately, man."

"Think so, Cy?" Robin asked.

"I don't know. It's just, getting slower, you know what I mean? I mean, the jail can't be that full now, can it?" Cyborg commented.

"Well, be grateful for it. After the Brotherhood's mess it just seems a bit natural too," He answered.

"Alright, 'night, Robin," Cyborg said and he started to walk down the hall way to his own room.

"'Night," Robin went into his room and shut his door.

He pulled off his uniform and got a t-shirt and shorts on. One more email, then bed. He needed the rest after his trip. He was exhausted. J.C.P.D. Mad Mod Capture, he clicked it and started to read the message on the screen.

_"Titans,_

_Again, as we have many times before, would like to thank you for your service to the city in capturing the criminally insane Mad Mod. However, you left the scene too early and we were unable to report a last minute detail that we thought that you might be interested. While you were fighting Mod, across town near the suburbs at a hardware store, a smaller version of one of Mod's robots was seen entering and leaving with large amounts of things such as rope, knives and masking and duct tape. It was only caught on camera. We've sent a link of the footage to you. We hope that maybe you could help explain this bizarre occurrence to us. To our knowledge, the small robot got away without a trace. _

_We thank you again and hope that you are all doing well,_

_The Jump City Police Department"_

Robin re-read the email. Tape, knives, and rope. It sounded like Mod was gathering supplies for something elementary. But why, of all things would he have caused such a distraction just to get away with simple things that he could buy? Didn't want to pay the bill? No. This wasn't right. There was no way that Mad Mod would have decided on such drastic measures for something so simple that he now didn't have since he was in jail. Robin sighed and looked around the room, newspapers adorning the walls.

A long night, that's what he was in for.

Flexing his fingers, Robin began to type. Information is what he needed. He'd tell the others in the morning.

-T-

A black limo came around the corner. Wintergreen had already packed his bags in the trunk. He stood in an overcoat, which really wasn't because of the weather. He opened the sleek car door and sat inside. He had a flight to catch. Wintergreen sat in front, driving.

"Sir, the mister Mad Mod, came through with your order," he said.

"I know," Slade answered, "I saw the news report. Alone, but he was capable of getting it done."

"Are you sure that it is... wise to be leaving so soon?" he asked.

"Do you doubt me, Wintergreen?" Slade questioned back, leaning forward, a smirk on his face, his blond hair falling slightly in his face.

"No," Wintergreen answered while turning a corner, "I just don't understand what sort of job Luthor hired you for would require you to be on the eastern half of the continent and have you hiring people from the western half."

"Well, that's easy, Wintergreen," Slade said, leaning back and taking out a copy of the Daily Planet, "He didn't assign me any such job. This is my own method."

"I see..." Wintergreen trailed off.

There was no doubt in his mind that Slade knew exactly what he was doing and, considering the fact that they were both going to Gotham, he was sure that he would find out eventually. He knew that Slade was being hired to take someone out, but he had no idea why it had to be this complicated. Come to think of it, Slade was never simple. Complex, calculated. That's what Slade was and how he always would be.

Slade knew that Wintergreen didn't understand. He couldn't kill Wayne just yet. It had to be under the perfect circumstances. The horror had to be right in his face. The end had to be screaming in his ears. There couldn't be resolution. The circumstances had to be perfect. This would take time and careful planning and while he didn't like working Jump when he was away, this time it would be necessary. It would be too much of a give away and take a much longer time. Plus, he could have the added advantages of the... unique element of criminality that Gotham had to offer.

Make no mistake, this plan would destroy Robin's world. It would shatter that boy like a mirror to a floor. The pieces, impossible to re-align. Mad Mod was useful this time. And he'd be rewarded for his service... eventually. In the meantime, there would be others. Others to get his dirty work done and as long as Luthor didn't intervene (which he wouldn't), there was no reason for this plan to not work. Some could call this sense of confidence, arrogance. But Slade was fully aware of how he sounded. That eliminated arrogance from the playing table. That left only an ace in the hole to remain and be played at the final round.

They pulled up to the airport. He stepped out and took a deep breath of that Californian sea air. He'd be back eventually and by that time, hopefully, his plan would almost be complete. But that was a ways away. Slade shrugged it off. That's the advantage that patience was.

Waiting, he could stand it.

Anticipation, well, that was another story...

-T-

**A/N:** So, did you enjoy it? I know that there wasn't much happening, but I thought that in a story like this a bit of a background of Jump wasn't going to be that bad really. And there's things in here that are essential to the plot line. Anyways, please review! The next chapter should be much faster in pace. Again, I hoped that you enjoyed this. I'll be back hopefully in two weeks! Later!

Rena


	4. Chapter 4: Cadmus and Bad Girls

**Disclaimer:** Man, that's so not fair! If it costs $250,000 to buy a single issue of Detective Comics #27, well, I guess that means that I'll never own Teen Titans or the DC Universe. Although I can't help but wonder what it _would_ take to buy it...

**Author's Note:** Oh, goody, goody, goody. I'm really glad that this chapter is done. I did one draft of it, decided it wasn't that great, and so I re-wrote it. It came out exactly how I wanted it to come out, which is good. And thank you once again to everyone who's reviewed! You guys so rock. I say that everytime, but it's true. I'm no liar. ;-D

I guess it's only fair that I establish a couple things for readers. First off, yes, Robin and Starfire are a couple here. Whenever I write a multi-chapter story, you can expect every pairing to be what the series dictates. Their romance in no way will overpower the main focus of this story nor will any other. Second off, I'm sort of writing this story as though the movie didn't happen. I loved the movie, really I did. But to make this story work, I think I have to leave it out. I think of it this way: they never went to Tokyo in the comics. It also takes place after season five.

Lastly, I guess you might have noticed in my review replies, I really can't answer any questions without giving things away. I will drop clues here and there, but I can't totally answer all of your questions 100 percent all of the time. I feel totally horrible and I'm really sorry about it, but trust me, you'll appreciate this later on in the story. By all means, you can totally still ask me questions, just know that if I'm not telling you everything it's for your own entertainment later on. Promise.

But anyway, back to this little thing of mine, how many of you have heard of the song "Bad Boy" by Cascada? Let's change the title to "Bad Girls" and add something else to this chapter. Why don't I quit typing this and let you read it? "Chapter Four: Cadmus and Bad Girls"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Four: Cadmus and Bad Girls**

"Sleep cycle complete." the computer monitor announced.

Cyborg's electronic eye began to turn on as his natural eye opened. It was too early. Just too early. But then again, he was fully recharged and there was no point in re-charging nothing and letting his charger get too hot. Sighing, Cyborg got up and went over to his computer. Not much on his schedule today. There was mostly just practice and kicking BB's butt on the GameStation. A bell rung and he walked over to get his breakfast.

Grabbing the sunny-side up egg and bacon strips, Cyborg ate slowly, wondering if any of the others were up. They probably weren't. The past week had put everyone back into their normal routine. Beast Boy was probably still drooling allover his pillow, the sheets dirty and in need of a good wash. Robin was most likely dead asleep (the guy probably sleep-walked into bed). The girls were most likely still asleep, but would wake up sooner or later. They, unlike the guys, had an easier time getting up due to their extraordinary ability to somehow plan time to sleep when necessary. Starfire claimed it was because of Tamaran's odd rotations and Raven said that it was because she often had to get up at night and meditate anyways.

A yawn escaped from him. Cyborg walked over to grab his basketball. Maybe he could shoot some hoops before practice today. He would just have to drop off his dish first. The hallways were deserted. He found himself trying to make his footsteps softer, but that was nearly impossible since his feet were big, metal, and in all honesty, loud. Once he reached the main room, he let out a sigh of relief and walked into the kitchen. He put his dish in the sink and was about to turn around to go to the roof when someone spoke.

"Shooting hoops?"

Cyborg turned to see Raven. He hadn't noticed her when he had come in. She was levitating in the air by the couch, her back facing him. Even though he hadn't seen her yet, he could tell that her eyes were closed. She was focusing on something, or maybe trying to and failing.

"Um, yeah, Rae. Hey, why are you up this early?" Cyborg asked.

"Nightmares," she answered, "I decided to come out here to try to calm myself down."

Cyborg nodded. They all knew what Raven's nightmares could do. Her powers had once creeped them all out to the point that it felt like they were in a horror movie, getting picked off one at a time by her monstrous creations. It wasn't intentional, but they had all learned from _that_ experience that when she had a nightmare, admitting it was, by far, the best solution. She never went into them, and Cyborg understood why. Being the daughter of Trigon could possibly make such things worse since she knew of the demons that lurked below and what their intentions were. It was by her own courage that she didn't tell them about her nightmares. She retained a lot of that sort of thing to keep everyone else's lives simple. She never thought of it that way, but they did.

"Sorry 'bout that," he answered, walking over and around the couch so that he could see her.

Sure enough, her eyes were closed "It's not your fault."

"Anyone else up?" he asked.

"No," she answered. Raven opened her eyes and let out a breath, "I was going to make some tea. Want any?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm good, but you know, if it's herbal, BB might be up for it," Cyborg told her.

"He won't be up for a couple of hours," Raven replied.

It was true and they both held in a silent laugh. Cyborg walked over to the kitchen where Raven was making her tea. Sometimes this would happen, he'd wake up and there would be a Titan in the main room to talk to. A couple days ago, Starfire had been in the main room, looking through something on a computer. So it wasn't unnatural and often times, he'd just stick around to chat and see what was going on with the others.

"Anything you're planning on doing today?" He asked.

Raven filled a cup with warm water and placed it in the silver microwave. "Poetry reading tonight at Midnight's Dawn Cafe. That's about it."

He nodded. "Yeah, pretty laid back this week, huh?"

"I suppose so," she responded.

The timer buzzed and she opened the microwave and pulled out the cup. She put in the tea bag and began to stir it gently, letting the flavor take precedence. Blowing on it thoughtfully, she took a sip. Cyborg watched her for a moment and then bounced his ball once. As it came up, he felt a sudden longing to be able to feel all of the bumps that made up the exterior of the ball. A simple wish, but not a realistic dream come true.

"Do you know what any of the others are doing?" he asked.

Raven placed her spoon on the counter and replied, "Robin's probably still catching up on file work. You know that Mad Mod case is still bugging him."

"The dude is crazy," Cyborg replied shaking his head. "Wish Robin could just accept that."

Raven smirked, but sighed, "Frankly, I don't think it's that simple either, Cyborg... I know that Starfire was going to go downtown to look at some new shops, but other than that I..."

Their attention turned over to the clear plasma screen window when it randomly made a noise and, for some reason, flickered to life. Cyborg looked at Raven and she wrinkled her forehead in confusion. They both walked over where the main computer screen in the front was also turning on as well. The screen was black, but finally words came up on the screen in white:

_"Incoming Video Communications Signal"_

_"Please turn on the volume and any microphones required."_

_"Signal from: Project Cadmus"_

"Who's Cadmus?" Raven asked, looking at Cyborg, who's brow was now furrowed.

Cyborg turned on the volume and the mics, but then before he pressed enter, he turned to answer her, "I think I know who they are, but I just don't know why they're calling..."

Raven raised a brow as Cyborg hit enter. The screen fully flickered on the plasma screen to reveal a lab with a man with brown hair and a suit on. He was an older man with a few wrinkles, but he was somewhat young because of his obvious zeal. Cyborg's eye narrowed.

"Can I help you at seven in the morning?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot about the time difference. My name is Dr. Westfield," the man answered back.

"Well, Dr. Westfield, what're you calling for?" Cyborg asked.

Raven looked at him. Normally Cyborg wasn't this... rude.

"We've been presented with a new project that requires the use of sonic technology," Westfield told them, "We've witnessed your... prowess with your sonic cannons, Cyborg, and well, it's just plain impressive. We were wondering about whether or not you would allow us the... opportunity to see some of your designs."

Cyborg's eyes narrowed. He didn't like this guy and, apparently, neither did Raven. She huddled her form slightly and stared at Westfield, her eyes narrowed in a sort of concentration. This guy, Westfield, he didn't, well, it was hard to explain. She could almost sense there was something... he was... cheap. Raven walked over inconspicuously to the side and closed her eyes.

Within the rooms of each of the remaining Titans, each of the Titans started to stir as though they suddenly wanted to get up. Robin's eyes twitched for a moment while he continued to lie in bed until almost a yell from inside his head woke him up. The main room. That's all he thought, but he got the message from Raven loud and clear. For the others, they weren't as certain or even aware of Raven's physic messages. Robin only could tell because of the mind bond that Raven had created in a life or death circumstance. Starfire was the next to get up and she went out to the main room, only stopped to quickly brush her hair. Beast Boy... He ended up being the hardest to wake up and only woke up when Raven created the illusion of the smell of fresh tofu waffles. Even then, he was only able to slowly drag himself out the door.

"You know, Dr. Westfield, I'm pretty sure that your company would know that that decision is not entirely up to me. STAR labs own my designs. It's a joint agreement," Cyborg said.

Robin walked around the corner to meet Starfire in the hallway. They stopped when they heard Westfield talking, "What is going on?"

"Not sure, some guy named Westfield's calling," he answered.

"Well, I'm sure, but Cyborg, if we can get your consent, STAR shouldn't be a problem to persuade," Westfield told him.

"So last night, Galifore sent me what is the equivalent of an email to tell me how Tamaran is..." Starfire said as she and Robin entered the room.

Both of them stopped and Robin walked up to the screen, "I'm guessing I missed a call?"

"Nope, it's for me," Cyborg said and returned his attention to Westfield. More witnesses, good, "Westfield, I don't think you get it. I know that you and STAR labs aren't friends or are even friendly. Why should I just hand over my designs?"

"What are you planning to use them for, anyway?" Robin questioned.

"Oh, just research in sound waves and such," Westfield said, his face a bit tighter, but still composed.

"Why?" Starfire asked, coming into the conversation.

Westfield's eyes narrowed. "That is classified."

"Well then maybe you should UN-classify it. I'm not giving over any of my designs till I know what they're going to be used for," Cyborg answered.

"Yeah..." The four Titans and Westfield looked over to see Beast Boy (finally awake) enter the room. "The last time his designs got into the wrong hands, a tsunami could have wiped out half of Jump."

"I assure you it is nothing dangerous," Dr. Westfield told them.

"Prove it!" Cyborg challenged.

Westfield's irritation finally manifested itself. "Look, we're asking for a favor. We'd pay for it too, so it's not even a favor. Cadmus could replicate your sonic technology in a matter of weeks, but the fact is, we don't want to waste that kind of time."

"Well, too bad, it looks like you're going to have to. Nice talking to ya," Cyborg answered before disconnecting the line.

"Sorry about waking you," Raven said, " I just... was getting bad vibes from him, if you know what I mean."

"It's no problem," Robin answered, before Beast Boy could complain.

"Um, friend Cyborg, I wish to inquire, what is it that this Cadmus did to make you so alert?" Starfire asked.

Cyborg sighed as the others watched him lean over the computer. Eventually, he turned around and crossed his arms as he leaned against the walls, "Well, it's complicated. My Dad, his name was Dr. Stone. He worked for STAR labs, so I heard all about that sort of company competition and stuff. I wasn't really interested, but I remember my old man just ranting sometimes about Cadmus."

Robin stepped in. "I think I've heard of Project Cadmus. Don't they work in the area of biology?"

"Yeah." Cyborg told them, "When Cadmus and STAR would clash it was mostly when Cadmus was working on some sort of research with technology and its effects on the body."

"Where is Cadmus?" Raven asked.

"Don't know," Cyborg answered, "They've been all over the place. I think some of their stuff might be illegal or something, too. I've even heard of them being stationed in Hawaii, but they never stay in one place for too long as far as I know."

"So you just wanted to bring us in here to keep big old bad Cadmus from trying to convince Cyborg to give up his stupid designs?!?!" Beast Boy asked, "Man! I need my beauty sleep!"

"I just thought the backup would be nice, yeah," Raven answered cynically.

"If Cadmus is under the radar, I don't like going into shady areas without backup anyway; so thanks," Cyborg told them.

"Well, it's fine. We get it," Robin answered.

"Easy for you to sleep, Mr. Insomniac." Beast Boy muttered "Ow!"

Raven had elbowed the changeling in the gut and given him a glare, "Shut it."

"Fine," Beast Boy answered.

"Do you want me to look into this Cyborg?" Robin asked.

Behind him, Starfire waved her hands back and forth while mouthing 'No!' Robin looked behind him and she instantly smiled, her hands behind her back.

"Aw, no Robin, I think as long as Cadmus doesn't have my designs we're fine. 'Sides, if Cadmus was going to try anything here, they wouldn't be stupid enough to put us on alert by calling us up." Cyborg answered.

"Alright," Robin nodded.

He'd let it go for now. They all knew that. It would just take them about three or four days of pulling Robin away from his work to make him forget about it. That was going to be fun. Luckily, they could take shifts doing so.

Starfire sighed and commented, "Well then, friends, now that we are awake, why do we not partake of the breaking of the fast?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy asked.

"Breakfast, BB," Robin told him.

"Alright, tofu eggs and waffles on me!" he announced, pulling himself over to the kitchen as the others followed

"We already ate," Raven said, ready to stalk on back to her room.

"I'll just have a protein shake, B," Robin added.

"A protein shake! Why?" he asked.

"Because they're good for you."

"Tofu's good for you, maybe better," Beast Boy answered back.

"Alright, I'll have a waffle, but just one..."

The alarm blared. Starfire floated over to the computer as Cyborg and Raven turned (reluctantly) back to the screen. Robin jumped over the couch and watched as Starfire pulled up the city sector map. Unlike most occasions, instead of the flashing red, the five Titans saw a blinking brown crossing over several areas of the city.

"It's below the city, on a path to..."

There was only one other Titan that knew that path that was being created on screen as well as Robin did. Beast Boy had joined them in their trance, "Terra... Okay, who in their right mind is going down there?"

His tone had changed from being laid back to a sudden severity and sarcastic note as he continued, "It's not like anyone can leave it alone anyway."

Robin went on and continued to type, trying to hack a security camera, "It's... Blackfire?"

Starfire suddenly looked over at the screen with more alertness and attention, "What is she doing here and down there of all places?"

"Don't know, but I think we better find out," Robin said, "Titans!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Cyborg and Robin went down to the garage while Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy went on a direct flight path to the cavern's entrance. While driving, Robin could feel the earth beneath him rumble as he drove and Cyborg began to count the Geiger size of the tremors. They were getting even more severe and noticeable as they got closer and as time passed. Finally they reached the entrance, Robin grabbing a lift from Starfire and Cyborg getting a lift from Raven to fly down there faster. As they traveled, the lights began to rapidly blink on an off. Since Slade's downfall at Terra's hands, the city made a pathway down to what had once been a petrified statue of Terra. The pathway didn't look all that great, though. The ceiling shook and rocks were falling. As they got closer they could hear laughter.

As soon as they got to the entrance of the large area of the cavern, Starfire and Raven released the two boys and Beast Boy changed back into a human, his posture and expression stiff and angry. Floating in the air was another teenager. In appearance, she looked like a darker duplicate of their own Tamaranian, but a bit older and with dark hair and purple eyes. She seemed to glory in a stellar black and silver outfit similar to Starfire's. In her hand, she held a purple Starbolt, her smile reflecting her utter delight at the Titans' arrival.

"Sister, dear, you've come," Blackfire announced, flying closer to the five Titans and in particular, Starfire, "I was afraid I'd cause a cave-in before you got here."

"Oh don't worry about that," Beast Boy remarked, drawing Blackfire's attention away from Starfire for a moment.

Starfire took the opportunity to address her sister, "What is it that you are doing, sister? This is just random destruction."

She motioned to the cave, which had in fact, suffered damage. The path that lead up to Terra's monument, which had been recreated in the wake of it's (or her) disappearance, was littered with rocks, the handrails broken. The surviving glass on some of the walls had been shattered and the ground had become uneven. This didn't faze Blackfire in the slightest, though.

"Exactly, Starfire," she said, sweetly.

"So you're not here to put Starfire up on the market again?" Robin started.

Cyborg finished, pulling out his sonic cannon. "You're just here to pick a fight!"

Blackfire laughed, "Well, duh."

"Titans! Go!"

Raven was the first to react, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The rocks from the ground began to levitate and suddenly, with a burst of speed, aimed directly at the fugitive. Blackfire dodged them and sent starlazers at Cyborg's circuits which he barely missed. Beast Boy attacked without hesitation. He attempted to claw at her from the air, but he was so absorbed with trying to hit her, he didn't pay attention to his own safety. He was knocked down with a couple starbolts, although that proved to be a good distraction. Starfire flew up with Robin, who grabbed Blackfire around the neck from behind. She choked and attempted to throw him off but he refused to let go.

"Hate me that much, Robin? I hope you're still not holding a grudge against me for making Starfire leave for Tamaran," she managed to say.

Robin didn't reply, but his grip loosened for just a second at the shock of the comment, which allowed Blackfire to throw him off. Raven caught him with a cloud of energy and then looked over at Cyborg who got her message. A disk appeared for Cyborg to ride on while she suddenly released a massive Raven-shaped energy literally from her body, her soul self. It flew straight at Blackfire and engulfed her in it and then in a moment was gone. Blackfire looked around, but was not too out of it to realize that Cyborg was coming right at her on the disk.

She flew out of the way and sent a starbolt into one of his sonic cannons, effectively sending sparks up his arm and postponing his re-emergence into the fight. Robin sent up a couple smoke bombs into the air while Starfire sent a barrage of starbolts into the cloud. As the smoke dispersed, they waited, holding their breath tightly in their chests. Where was... Blackfire flew straight from the cloud and directly at Robin. She lifted him up and carried him by the front end of his shirt towards the top of the cavern near the ceiling. He really was starting to hate it when this happened.

"Hate me that much, Blackfire?" he asked her in mock imitation.

She didn't get a chance to reply. Something latched on and clawed at her stomach where the fabric tore and one could see smallscratches. Something green. No, no, no... Robin felt Blackfire use one hand to find Beast Boy in the shape of a mouse and throw him off. Angry, she began to fly forward, Robin right in front. She slammed him into a wall and let go. That hurt, that really, no _that_ hurt. Falling to the ground hurt. Starfire watched as a tremor went up the wall from Robin's original impact sending rocks falling down onto their leader. Most hit him on the back and missed his head fortunately, but it left him out of the fight for the moment.

"Robin!" Starfire whirled around to see Blackfire blinding Cyborg's visual system with her starbolts while simultaneously throwing Beast Boy once again off and into Raven, "No!"

There were losing and her friends were being hurt by her own blood. Starfire let out a vicious and enraged yell. Her normal smile was gone and her eyes glowed an emerald green.

Never again! "Blackfire!"

The banished Tamaranian looked over and for a moment, her smile faded as she saw Starfire come forward and grab her shoulders to push her forward.

"You dare!" she screamed at Blackfire as she sent them both flying into the ground in the canyon below, "You dare hurt them and I'll..."

Blackfire seized Star's hands and pushed her to the ground instead, "You'll what? You'll banish me? Doesn't work that way here now does it?"

"You will go to jail!" Starfire yelled, he starlazers effectively sending Blackfire into the ceiling above.

The fight between the two raged. Robin slowly managed to open his eyes. His communicator began to vibrate and ring. Something was wrong. He barely was able to move his arm to reach back behind to his belt to get it. A break-in was in progress by... Cheshire? They had to split up. He got to his knees and looked at the others' and their current conditions. Who was best to send off to fight Cheshire?

"Raven! Beast Boy! There's a break in at Cook's Electronics; Cheshire's behind it," Robin ordered, "Stop her!"

Blackfire looked over momentarily, but Starfire landed a kick to her shoulder and brought her back into the fight. Raven went without hesitating until she saw Beast Boy looking over at Blackfire, still angry. He was about to argue, but Robin cut him off after getting up.

"No! Go! You're too attached to do any good here!" he told him, "Go!"

Beast Boy took this as a slight offense, but followed Raven anyway. They could still hear Starfire and Blackfire fighting as they traveled along the cave tunnel. At every hit and evey tremor that they felt, Beast Boy got slower and kept looking back. He shouldn't be going after Cheshire. Cyborg or Robin should be, or well, at least Cyborg. Not him. He should be down there protecting Terra's...

"Don't even think about it," Raven said in a monotone.

"Oh, and why not?" Beast Boy asked turning back into a human to let Raven lecture him while getting a ride out of it. At least it meant that he didn't have to run or fly.

Raven didn't look at him, "You know you were making it worse. Robin was right, in your attempts to get Blackfire out of there, you were reckless."

"Hey, Starfire's being reckless," he shot back.

"No, she's not. She's coordinating her attacks so that she doesn't risk harming others," Raven told him and after a moment added, "You're too emotionally attached to that place."

Beast Boy looked down from the flying disk at the road that they were passing and almost in a whisper replied, "You would be, too."

Raven stiffened for a moment and turned her gaze away. Yeah, she would. She couldn't deny it. She had her share of hurt, too. But she wouldn't say it. Raven let it go for a moment as she thought up an appropriate answer, "Beast Boy... just, focus on Cheshire."

Beast Boy nodded. He knew that she was trying to be nice. He knew that she hadn't entirely liked Terra. Raven had felt just as betrayed by Terra as he did in some ways. Not by a broken heart, but by a broken trust. He thought in some ways that she felt partially responsible. They all did. Robin felt like he should have spoken out more about how dangerous Slade was. Starfire wished that she had not been so oblivious to Terra's odd behavior. Cyborg kicked himself for showing her his designs of the building. Raven felt that she should have never let Terra gain her trust in the first place.

Everything worked out in the end. Or rather, almost everything worked out. Terra redeemed herself in their eyes, but at the cost of her own life. They were humbled by her sacrifice. It left them with a permanent reminder that when one chooses to do what's right, they don't always get to keep what they save for other people for themselves: Life. Terra was a hero. She was a Teen Titan. She left a memory and a heart breaking one at that.

Looking back, Beast Boy felt like he had just let himself be blind. The hard reality of it was that he knew that he had cared for and had liked Terra. It was harsh and had made it tough to always keep a smile on and joke around during that time. But he did because it was all that he really knew how to do.

They followed their locators on their communicators until they reached the computer store. The glass was broken and there was a small fire going. Nobody was here, or at least, it seemed that way. Beast Boy turned into a bloodhound and started to sniff around. He caught a whiff of french perfume. He nodded over to Raven as he sniffed to the back of the store, where it was pitch dark, save for the blue glow of the computer screens that were still intact. Soon, he stopped and stayed crouched on the floor.

"Rae, the scent's gone," he said.

She could hear the slight worry in his voice. Beast Boy knew that scents and tracks didn't just disappear, or at least, intentionally disappear. Raven went ahead, squinting her eyes and keeping a tight hold on her cloak. She looked over at Beast Boy who was watching her hesitantly. It was still dark. Raven bent down and touched the floor.

"Raven? What are you...?" Beast Boy started, but then he saw the white glow that emanated from Raven's eyes.

Raven pressed her hand down onto the ground. Instantly, the blue glow from the computers melted down as Raven's telepathic energy reached over all of the walls and the objects in the room. It was almost like every solid object was being turned into a fine, black crystal barely shining. Yes, crystal. It was something that had never occurred to him. While cold and dark later, the first manifestations of it seemed to be bright like an icy crystal. Beast Boy watched as he and Raven remained untouched by the energy. He turned swiftly to continue watching the energy wave when suddenly a face emerged from what had once been shadows.

Leaping as soon as their eyes met, Cheshire attacked.

"Woah!" Beast Boy leaped out of the way as Raven whipped around to see Cheshire attack from behind.

Raven teleported out of the way, but barely. Yet this allowed for Cheshire to focus on Beast Boy, who unfortunately, was not used to fighting someone like Cheshire. Turning into a snake, Beast Boy slithered off, attempting to hide. Cheshire looked either way. She wasn't looking for a fight, just a quick escape. To her advantage, Beast Boy came out of nowhere in an attempt to bite her leg, but at the same moment Raven came out at the same time. Beast Boy saw and turned into a human, yet it made for the two Titans colliding into each other for the second time that day, Raven's hood falling off in the process.

"Don't let her..." Raven started, but she was too late.

She saw a doorway of light and Cheshire's shadow, which she followed up to see Cheshire herself. The mask smiled as always as she shut the door. Raven got up and ran to the doorway. She wrenched the door open as Beast Boy followed her outside. The bright light hit her eyes. Gone, nothing, no one.

No Cheshire. No... reason?

Deep below the Earth, the two Tamaranians' battle was in dire need of an end. If they didn't stop fighting soon, they'd end up bringing the whole cavern down with them. Cyborg had finally gotten up and had attempted to hit Blackfire with his cannon. However, Starfire, being so close in range to her sister, made it increasingly difficult for him to aim until he finally gave up altogether and turned his focus to Robin to make sure that he was alright. It wasn't that big a deal, but still, Robin was human. He may be incredibly resistant to pain due to crime fighting for so long, but falling rocks can do a number on a person. Starfire knew how dangerous this was becoming and she knew her sister did as well.

Throwing a couple punches, Starfire managed to ask, "Why, must you, do this?"

"Look, sister dear, if I go down, at least you do..." Blackfire yelled as Starfire rammed her with her starlazers into the ceiling causing the oddly deformed stalactites to detach and hit her in the back and the head.

That was enough to knock her out with the sudden pain. It was nothing life threatening to a Tamaranian, though. Starfire flew up and caught her sister as she fell. Blackfire looked up at her sister passively before passing out entirely. Starfire sighed as she brought Blackfire to the ground. She didn't like fighting her sister and she never quite understood what she could have done to make her sister hate her so much. But what concerned her more now was if Robin was alright or not.

"Cyborg, you must apprehend my sister," she called to him.

Cyborg had just finished making a quick check over Robin after pulling him out of the rubble. Robin nodded to him and Cyborg walked over to hand-cuff Tamaran's former princess. Starfire ran over to Robin who was leaning up against the rock wall. Just as she knelt down next to him, the communicator rang. He flipped it open to see Raven and Beast Boy on the screen.

"Robin, Cheshire got away, but all she did was damage to the Cook's store by the looks of it. The place is a mess," Raven told him.

"She didn't do anything?" Robin asked.

"Nothing but damage, really," Raven answered.

"Yeah," Beast Boy piped in, "It was like she was just picking a fight."

"Or..." Raven hesitated and then answered, "No."

"What?" Robin asked.

"She didn't want to fight. She escaped as soon as we showed up," Raven answered.

The four Titans watched their leader's brow wrinkle in thought. They all knew that the gears inside his head were turning at an alarmingly fast rate. It worried them a bit whenever he did this just because whenever he did, he'd become irritable and would beat on himself for not coming up with an answer right away. Hesitantly, Starfire dared to pull him out of his trance.

"Robin?" She said.

After a moment, he said, "Let's get back to the Tower."

Raven nodded on the com-link and turned it off. She motioned over to Beast Boy to head back to the tower and the two flew off to wait for the others' return. Cyborg picked Blackfire up ready to bring her to cop cars that were sure to be up at the cave entrance as soon as they got up there. Robin attempted to stand, but grunted. His back was stiff, his muscles tight from the impact.

"Robin? Are you..." Starfire trailed off.

Robin smiled a bit grimly up at her. Starfire slung his arm around her shoulders and helped him walk to the T-Car. Their steady rate would have been even slower if Starfire hadn't been partially flying to help Robin support himself.

"You're riding in the T-Car man," Cyborg told him, "Starfire can get your bike.

Robin said, wincing as he took a couple steps, "I'll be fine guys, really. I just need to relax for the night. With Raven's healing powers I should be better by morning."

Cyborg nodded and turned his attention over to Starfire reassuringly, "What about you? Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, I am fine, thank you," Starfire said, turning her eyes downward.

She didn't want to think about the fight that had just been insinuated. She looked over at her sister who lay limply in Cyborg's arms. For everything that she had ever done to Starfire, she was still her sister. They all knew that and it was always thought as something remarkable at how Starfire handled this. Never making excuses. Never wanting to get revenge. She held her head up high, her eyes looking down low. Was she sad? Yes. Did she wish that it could be different? Yes. But almost like a diplomat, Starfire handled the situation with a strong resolved belief of the outcome that would befall Blackfire was in the name of justice. She could forgive her on her own terms outside of the law, but somehow, Starfire knew that forgiveness was not what Blackfire was looking for.

They handed Blackfire, still out of it, over to the cops. They said nothing about the earlier robbery this week, seeing Robin's condition. High above them, there was someone watching. Her long black hair flowed with the silk green arms of her costume in the wind. She shook her head and turned. It would be dangerous, foolish, and stupid. That's what they had said. And maybe it had been, but now as much as it could have been thanks to her... negotiations. She had been promised fun and it had been.

But it was time to go.

-T-

**A/N:** Cheshire, she's a nice girl if you get past the fact that in the comics she uses nuclear weapons...And Blackfire, what can I say about her that's nice? Oh well. Um, also I do want to mention that Westfield is a real character. To my knowledge, he came out right around the beginning of the 90's. He's not well known, but he does exist. So what did you think? I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please review! I know Slade didn't exactly show, but he'll be like that on some occasions, not often, but sometimes. I'm starting to work on Chapter Five even as I type. Later!

Rena


	5. Chapter 5: Taking Inventory

**Disclaimer:** Okay, I admit it. The rumors were false. I don't own Teen Titans or the DCU. The one time that I wish that rumors were true, they're not... Oh well...

**Author's Note:** Guess what? I'm updating early! For once... Slade's back in this chapter which made me happy since I love writing about the mastermind at work. Hope everyone's been doing alright. By the way, any ideas for a costume for a Halloween costume? I'm having such a hard time choosing this year. Maybe I'll just grab my red cloak... Oh well, I'll think of something. Oh, you want to know another reason why I'm so happy? I'm going to tell you anyway. I finally bought "Teen Titans: Titans East"! Which I've reread at least twice now. Adam Beechen (he's the brilliant mind who wrote Haunted) and Geoff Johns (Amazing comic writer for DC) are geniuses, I swear. Yep, it's been a good week for me. Guess that's why I was able to get this thing done so soon. Once again, I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed. You guys don't know how much you make my day. So anyway, I'll let you continue reading without my interruptions. "Chapter Five: Taking Inventory"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Five: Taking Inventory**

The smell of charcoal and cooking steak filled the restaurant. In the background, the overpaid pianist played classical compositions in his own soft style. Waiters and waitresses balanced glasses on top of trays taking them to their customers, hoping for some generous tips. After all, their customers could afford it. The managers went about frantically trying to keep their slip-ups as unnoticeable as possible. The chefs inside the kitchen were perhaps the only ones who kept the art of cooking their priority. Outside, it was the art of presentation that mattered the most.

Mounted on the walls were fake heads of supposedly exotic animals. The only real ones consisted of deer and antelope that were well paid for. The walls had each been painted individually to reflect a certain time and tone of day that took place in the grasslands of Africa. Everything was comfortable and could suit even the most casual of diners to the most elegant of high society, each divided out into separate rooms so that every guest would have the best dining experience. The lighting could set each individual room ablaze or be so dim as to make it that it appeared that only the stars and candles in the room created a source of light.

In one of the not too extravagant corners of the Serengeti Club, a man sat in the corner waiting for his dinner, his appetizer finished. Andrea had just finished serving several older gentleman who had thanked her kindly, but all she could really think about was her feet that were just begging for her to go home and go to bed. But she needed the money for college and so when her boss, Sherry, had asked her to cover for Ben, who had just gotten off early, she had obliged.

Sherry had pulled her aside and told her specifically, "Don't screw this one up. That's Mr. Wilson. He leaves some of the best tips. Just get him his order, ask him if he wants anything, tell him it will be out momentarily, shut your mouth, and leave him alone. He travels a lot and likes a quiet dinner."

Andrea nodded in response as she glanced over at Mr. Wilson. Well, at least he didn't look like the old money she normally served. She walked over, a napkin folded over her arm and a pad of paper in her hand to take Wilson's order. It was ten at night. Her mom hated the fact that she worked so late. Gotham wasn't exactly friendly at night. At least the Club was in uptown Gotham and away from the clubs downtown. There was nothing to worry about around here, at least she hoped so.

"Mr. Wilson, Ben just got off, but your order should be out in a minute," She said as she reached his table.

Mr. Wilson laughed under his breath, "Thank you, Andrea."

His voice was deep and rich, but was relaxed. Yet he had given her the creeps. It wasn't something in his voice. It was what he had known without even glancing up, her name. It was like he had that sixth sense about him.

"Um, well, you're welcome," Andrea answered, a bit nervously and taken off guard.

Andrea watched for a good sign. His blond hair was flecked with gray and fell limply on his young face, covering his forehead and part of his right eye. But from that she could see, a black strap was protruding from underneath his bangs wrapping around his head. The marks of an eye patch. Great – another reason for him to creep her out. He was dressed in a brown leather suit and a white button up shirt, his tie a bit loose and she reminded herself of that tip.

"How long will it be?" He asked her, as though it had been nothing.

"A mere ten minutes," She told him promptly, "Do you need any more water?"

"No, I'm good," Mr. Wilson said, "And don't worry about rushing with the swordfish, I'm expecting a guest tonight."

Andrea looked up from her writing pad and nodded, "Oh, who should I look for?"

"A young woman," He told her, "Long black hair."

Andrea nodded and went to the front to see if there was anyone waiting. She was glad that she could once again slump a little in her posture. Once Andrea left, Wilson sat back in the plush seat and let out a sigh. He picked up his glass and twirled it a bit from one side to the other, letting the reflection of the lights above shine and glitter while the water swished around. As he brought the glass back down, he saw a young teenager heading toward him.

She was dressed in a blue kimono that was loose and flowed instead of the normal tight and strict style of most kimonos. It was an intentional attempt to look sophisticated and elegant. Her face was what looked like a mix of French and Vietnamese heritage. She wore a couple long gold necklaces, some that reached past her ribs. On one hand she wore a bracelet that matched her diamond earrings. He eye make up flared making her green eyes shine brilliantly, but the rest of her beauty was natural. For a teenager, she knew how to make herself look like an adult.

She sat down across from him and he finally spoke, "Jade Nguyen."

Jade smiled slightly, "You weren't expecting me, were you?"

"No, I was," He answered, "Blackfire got in over her head, didn't she?"

"You could say that," She replied.

Andrea came over with his swordfish and poured Jade some water as well. Slade waved her off and she got the message.

"And you expect your cut," Slade answered.

The fire crackled off to his side as one of the waiters put a couple logs on top of the already hot wood. It wasn't exactly common to have a blazing fire going in the middle of the summer, but the Serengeti compensated for it and kept the AC on up high.

Jade was quiet as Slade continued, "Although, I'm sure that she laid everything out for you. I pay her. You get your cut from her."

"She's currently... unable to do so," Jade started.

"And that's your problem." Slade answered.

"No, it's your's!" She spat.

From the sleeve of her pocket, Jade withdrew a thin metal disk that sparkled as she waved it slowly in the air, small rainbow beams meeting Slade's lone eye.

"I have what you want. She doesn't," Jade told him, "Give me my cut and I give you your prize."

Slade looked at her, unfazed. "Ms. Nguyen, you don't want to waste your time here. And honestly, that's not much of a prize. It's an advantage point in a silly game."

Jade's face turned slightly sour as she answered. "I. Want. My. Cut. Don't think I won't hesitate to run my nails across your other eye."

Slade sighed and took a sip of water. Like she could manage such a thing, "Where will you be?"

"East Asia," She answered. "You can find me, yes?"

"It's not a question, Jade," Slade answered, "I can... adjust my agreement with the Tamaranian. Bailing her out of jail and giving her a slightly diminished payment will be her reward, plus she won't have to pay you. I'll give you your payment that will be what she agreed to give you."

"Forty percent." Jade told him.

"Done."

Jade leaned back in the booth, her shoulders relaxed again. She slid the computer disk across the table where Slade picked it up and, after a moment, smiled. The only problem with some poor people is that they can never compromise and need someone else to negotiate for them. That was what this had been. The hushed tones that they had used before hand were gone as they entertained each other for the rest of the night about petty things such as the criminal world's gossip (this was mostly from Jade's part of the conversation since Slade didn't need to gossip to know what was going on) and the atmosphere of the Serengeti. It was a personal favorite of Slade's to say the least and it led to Jade talking about her preferences in Asia. To make things better, the managers and most of the employees could easily be bought off. They parted ways at the end of the evening, Cheshire leaving first, Slade guessed, to get to the airport for a flight.

Mr. Wilson put the disk into his coat pocket and pulled out a hundred for Andrea. He paid the bill and left, deciding to walk, in favor of trying to get some fresh air. He kept his head down and out of site. Barely anyone was out who would care if he was missing an eye, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be cautious. The roadways were cooling off from the hot summer day that had followed. The stars weren't visible due to the many lights of Gotham City. He'd been here for barely a week and he was settled in nicely. But still, he didn't like the set up. Gotham was foreign territory, enemy territory.

But foreign was the biggest threat here. He could lay low. He could avoid Gotham's Dark Knight. He was playing two separate games. One in Jump, one in Gotham. It wasn't hard. It was just a matter of keeping a close watch on both sides, both opponents, both resources, and both cities. He reached a large townhouse in the northwest section of Gotham in the islands. Walking up the steps, Mr. Wilson unlocked the door and stepped inside, the place dark and empty. He turned the lights on as he pulled his coat off and walked into the living room.

Slade grabbed the remote and switched the TV on. He rolled his shoulders as he sat down. He was glad that he didn't have to be 'Mr. Wilson' all of the time. Often, he'd forsake the name when possible, just because it was a pain to keep up. But it would keep him out of the spot light and right now, that's what he wanted. He hit 23343 and suddenly the cable switched to a specialized menu, his own. He scrolled down and hit Titans Tower. From there, multiple screens of security cameras within the Tower popped up. Movement caught his eye in the hospital wing. He scrolled down and pulled up the screen to see Robin lying down on the hospital bed, apparently getting healed from Raven. The other three sat in chairs around the area talking about the afternoon's recent crimes.

"I'm seriously fine, Raven," Robin complained, as Raven held her hands above his back.

Raven cocked her eyebrows and moved slightly downward. Robin tensed as she reached a knot in his back. She smirked, her point proved. She was emanating a black/blue aura from her palms that met his back to heal him and had forced him to throw his cape and shirt off to the side so that she could heal him quicker than she normally could.

"If you would just relax, it could go by faster." Raven told him.

"But I'm still going to be in here for the rest of the night anyway." Robin argued back.

"He has a point." Cyborg whispered over to Beast Boy, igniting an irritated glare from Raven.

She sighed, "Robin, it's not even that bad. You're lucky it's not worse."

"You're right, Raven, I should be grateful that Blackfire didn't brake my back," Robin remarked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes." Raven answered in response

At the mention of her sister, Starfire interjected, "Again, I am so sorry for my sister's behavior."

"Man, Star, I don't see why you stick up for her," Beast Boy said, exasperated from her many apologies.

"Because Blackfire is still my sister." Starfire told him.

"Who's out to kill you." Cyborg finished.

Starfire shook her head and sighed as Raven said for the sixth time this evening. "Starfire, it's really alright. We're here to stop people who do bad things. That's our job."

Starfire nodded, but only because she knew that that's what the others wanted her to do. "I just feel the guilt, as though it was my fault, my presence that made Blackfire attack you friends."

"It's not your fault, Star." Cyborg told her.

"But..."

She started when Robin interrupted. "He's right, Starfire. It wasn't your fault."

Raven looked back down at Robin, who had moved slightly to lift his head up from the pillow, and asked, "Do you think she had something to do with Cheshire?"

Robin scrunched up his face, "Well, if it makes sense, how likely is it that Cheshire would attack at the exact same time that Blackfire did? She likes to be in Asia; California's not her her cup of tea, you know? And what did she do? She separated us. They were working together."

"To do what?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade watched with rapt attention as he watched Robin try to come to a conclusion, but found none.

"I... don't know..." The others watched him as he continued. "But they wanted to do something. We just need to figure out what."

Robin moved to get up, but Raven forced him to lie back on the bed, "The police are perfectly capable of doing a police report on the damage at Cook's, Robin."

"Raven..."

"Don't start. If you want, Cyborg can go and do a report himself." Raven told their leader, her tone resolved and unmovable.

"Yeah, man." Cyborg told him, walking over so that Robin could see him, "I can do it first thing tomorrow or maybe in the evening or something..."

"You need to chill, dude." Beast Boy added, turning into a sloth and resting on the bed on the other side of the room to reiterate his point.

"Yes, please, Robin," Starfire said, "You must get an adequate amount of rest to heal."

Robin felt the four sets of eyes of his teammates watching him. Peer pressure. He hated it. "Alright, fine, but I can get up tomorrow, right?"

The others glanced at Raven who answered, "In the afternoon, yeah."

She took away her hands and Robin felt the slight chill in his spinal cord leave him. He let out a sigh and pressed his head into the pillow, aggravated. This was the downside of being the only human on a team of super-powered teens. It took him longer to get up from falling off a bridge than it did the others.

Raven went to the door and before she left told them, "I'm going to my poetry reading. Call me if there's something that you need."

Robin nodded and the others watched as Raven whisked up her cape and disappeared into the air, making the room cold as though they had briefly stepped into an ice box. Beast Boy shivered slightly.

"Hate it when she does that." He whispered.

"It's not like I hate it, but I wish that she could leave the room temp the same." Cyborg shrugged, "Look, I was going to work on the T-Car. You gonna be alright, man?"

Robin looked over and nodded glumly. Even Buffing the T-Car sounded fun to him right now and they all knew it. There were some occasions where it was extremely difficult to read Robin's thoughts and others where it was... to put it nicely, obvious if you knew him.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go and... uh, do stuff." Beast Boy told the others as well.

The two boys walked out leaving Robin and Starfire in the room, "Do you wish for me to stay with you for a while?"

"Huh?" Robin asked looking up and then he answered, "Oh, no, it's alright, Star. I'll be fine. Besides, if I 'exert' myself Raven will keep me in here for a week."

Starfire giggled slightly at the joke. Her eyes moved to Robin's back where some blue and black marks were slightly raised and her facial expression changed. "Well, if you should need anything, the killers of pain or the ice in the packs, feel free to call."

"I will, Star. Thanks, and seriously, don't feel bad about Blackfire. It was out of your control," He told her, allowing for a slight smile to creep onto her face in the face of less guilt.

"Alright, Robin." She replied.

The princess walked out of the room and left the hospital room devoid of anyone except for Robin. Slade chuckled a bit. It was so amusing because he knew Robin's exact reaction to the night that would follow. He knew that Robin would despise the evening. Not being allowed to get up. Not being allowed to move. It would be misery for him. And yet, as amusing as it was, there had to be reprimand for such an act. Blackfire's bail was not going to be as automatic as Mad Mod's. He had told her to inflict nothing crucial and he knew that she was smart enough to realize that one wrong move could have put Robin in a concussion. Such a punishment for the Boy Wonder was reserved for only the most grievous mistakes, none of which Robin had made.

Slade turned off the TV screen and leaned back, relaxing his tense muscles and letting them almost regenerate with a long, deep inhale and exhale. He dealt with teenagers. Teenagers who would be the next Justice League if they kept it up. But he wasn't going to deal with them tonight. Tonight, he had another adventure to explore. Gotham's streets were ripe with an energy that pulsed through the darkness. He got up and went upstairs. Unlocking the door to the master bedroom, Slade went in and began to change. The leather and steel guards were so much more comfortable. Funny, at one time, jeans and a T had been his idea of comfort. Now, Deathstroke was more ideal. Slade looked at his reflection in the mirror before placing the orange and black mask onto his face.

Perfect.

Opening up the balcony, Slade felt the summer air hit him with all of the smells that Gotham had to offer him. Fresh and clean? No. But it gave him everything that he needed to get ready for the night. It was not going to be dangerous. It was going to subtle, stealthy, sly. It was going to be a thrill. All according to plan. Slade took a running leap and jumped out of the townhouse, landing on the opposite roof as he kept running towards his target. He could deal with the computer chip tomorrow. Tonight, was all about setting the wheels in motion in Gotham. Slade also realized as he ran that it was also about igniting the adrenaline rush. And one could be sure that he would enjoy every minute of it.

-T-

Robin laid down on the bed. He'd been lying down all day and all night, save for the one time that he had been allowed to use the bathroom that morning. Around ten, Raven had finally given in and told him that at two she'd let him get up.

1:57 PM

Couldn't the clock go any faster?

1:58 PM

This was murder.

Robin kept running his eyes everywhere while glancing up at the clock every ten seconds or less. The room, though he had gotten used to it over the night, smelled strongly of soap, antiseptic and, in general, a very sterile doctor's office. It was one of those times where he wanted to fidget and make a fuss about being stuck in one place, but he was way too old to give into to such a childish resolve. So instead, he remained on the bed silently fuming until...2:00 PM. Finally.

As Robin jumped out of bed, the sudden shock to his system caused him a moment of dizziness and reminded him that he'd need to stretch a bit to relieve the stiffness that still lingered in his bones and muscles. Grabbing his shirt and cape, Robin walked down the hallway to his bedroom, with the intent of grabbing a quick hot shower to get rid of the smell of the hospital's bed sheets. Within about five minutes, he had managed to jump in and out of the shower.

His hair dripped down and plastered itself onto the back of his neck, bugging him with a soft itch. In response, he quickly rubbed his hair dry and spiked it back up with hair gel. Most of the time, the others thought that his hair must have been a rock or something because he used so much, but it was just a habit. One that his mother had started and one that Bruce had promoted. He was about to go check and see if Cyborg had actually put together a report when a knock on the door alerted him to someone outside. Keeping the towel around his waist, Robin walked over to see Beast Boy walking into his room on his own terms.

"Hey man, we're gonna go to the park." Beast Boy told him.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"'Cause it's nice out. 'Sides, don't ya want to get out of tower? I would of thought that the hospital wing would have done that." Beast Boy asked.

Robin rolled his masked eyes and answered, "Alright, I'll go."

"Awesome. It's semi-civilian style alright?"

"Yeah, whatever BB." Robin answered.

Beast Boy smiled and ran out to find Raven to bug her into going. Robin laughed under his breath and changed his route from the closet to his dresser drawers where he kept his 'semi-civilian' and just plain 'civilian' clothes. The difference? Mainly a mask and his civilian clothes were much more... proper... mostly. It was hot outside so he grabbed a pair of red and white shorts and a black T-shirt with red stripes on the sides. Underneath his bed, he grabbed a pair of flip flops and put them on while throwing his communicator into his side pocket.

Eventually, the knock came and this time, Beast Boy had gotten both of the girls. "Come on, man, Cyborg's got the T-Car running."

"I'm coming, BB, I'm coming." Robin replied and he got in line behind the girls. The three of them road down the elevator to the garage where Cyborg honked the horn of his car to get them to hurry up.

"You guys are way too slow." Cyborg said.

"You don't have to change. Ever." Raven told him in response.

"I did." Cyborg answered, "And I never took that long,"

"You've never seen Starfire's wardrobe, have you?" Raven asked.

Cyborg shut his mouth about it after that. Beast Boy got in the front while the others piled in the back.

"So friend Beast Boy, why is it that you are so excited to go to the park today?" Starfire asked, as she buckled her seat-belt.

"They've got a pet expo today and it's only a bit of a walk to P.I.Z.Z.A. for a snack if we want." Beast Boy told them.

"Wait a minute, you got us all to go out just so that you could see cats and dogs. You could have rented the movie!" Cyborg yelled.

"Oh, come on, Cy, those animals are so adorable. Plus, we need to sign every petition against puppy mills." Beast Boy told him.

Cyborg rolled his eye and continued to drive as Starfire asked, "Excuse me, but what are mills of the puppy?"

Raven answered, "People who are technically allowed to do what they're doing even though they don't always treat their animals right."

Starfire nodded, still unsure of what they were talking about, but she could tell that that was all the answer she would get while in the car. They rode down into Jump where Cyborg parked the car. Most of the pet expo was at the east end of the park. The boys went off while arguing about whether or not to go see the lizards or food stands first.

Robin and the girls hung back a bit. The sun beat down on their shoulders and made them sweat off any sun tan lotion that they had put on beforehand. Raven in particular, her outfit barely any different save for the lack of her cloak and a pair of jeans, was suffering from the heat and lack of shade. Starfire on the other hand seemed to thrive on it and enjoyed browsing along the booths. Right before they got to the end of the stands as they headed for the west end, Starfire felt a tug on her hand.

"Um, 'scuse me. Are you Starfire?" A little girl holding a teddy bear asked.

Starfire smiled and replied, "Yes, I am Starfire. And what is your name little one?"

"Dana," The girl told her while pointing, "And this is Freddy and that's my mommy over there."

Starfire smiled at her as she bent down, "It is very good to meet you Dana and Freddy."

"You gotta meet my mommy, Starfire!" The girl exclaimed, "You gotta, she's always talking about you guyses."

Dana looked around Starfire to catch a glimpse of Raven and Robin, who were both a couple feet away. Maybe it was because of Robin's status as the team leader and Raven's lack of... cheerfulness, but she quickly looked back at Starfire who stood up and walked with her over to a woman running a booth. Robin smiled as he watched Starfire happily talk with Dana's mother who was selling dog toys and other various items.

Raven sighed as she walked up to Robin. "She's gonna be there a while."

"Yeah, you want to find some shade?" Robin asked.

Robin caught Starfire's eye and held up his communicator. She nodded and waved at them. Robin and Raven walked out of the stream of booths and started walking around the park, stopping at large trees to enjoy the shade. Seagulls above called out and caught spare bread that some kids were throwing into the air. Robin watched them and looked out at the bay at the Tower. He sighed and Raven looked at him.

"Are you still worried?" She asked.

They both knew what she was talking about, so Robin didn't pretend to be oblivious. "It just doesn't make sense, Raven. There wasn't a reason for them to work together. I mean, they're both the quote on quote 'bad girls', but Blackfire's in jail and Cheshire... She didn't really do anything. I don't see how that helps either of them."

Robin slumped down against a tree and gazed over at some other teenagers, probably from Jump City High, playing Ultimate Frisbee. Everything seemed to be so carefree for them. They had normal lives. And it couldn't be for any of the Titans. They didn't mind it, but there were days that they could feel it. Today was one of those days. He wasn't complaining, but sometimes, everything just got to be so heavy on his shoulders. Raven watched him and leaned against the tree. Her melancholy tone normally allowed for things of serious nature to be natural for her to deal with a bit more ease than the others.

She nodded and told him. "Cyborg wasn't able to go to Cook's this morning.

When he glanced up slightly she gave up the explanation he wanted, "They were still taking inventory to see if..."

Robin looked off suddenly and cut her off mid-sentence, "Inventory... Raven, you don't think..."

Raven quickly tried to think back to Cheshire's attack and answered, "The place was a mess, it could have been..."

"Overlooked?" Robin filled in.

"Yes," Raven told him.

The momentary success brought only a second of supposed 'happiness'. Robin stood up and for a moment looked like the problem was solved until a frown came to his face again. Raven looked at him confused.

"What?" She asked.

"All that for a robbery?" Robin asked.

"Hey guys!" Beast Boy yelled.

They looked over to see Beast Boy running at them, "Don't let him get me!"

He turned into a cheetah and ran off. Cyborg came out seconds later, "Aw, man, where's the grass stain off to now?"

"What'd he do?" Robin asked.

"If it wasn't for him and his stupid 'pet expo', then I wouldn't be seen as a fire hydrant for about a dozen pit bulls!" Cyborg yelled and suddenly he caught sight of a green bird flying in the air, "Oh no you don't!"

Cyborg opened fire with his sonic cannon at Beast Boy who quickly attempted to dart out of the way.

"Well, that's disruptive." Raven stated bluntly.

Robin laughed and looked back over at the pet expo where Starfire was following the same girl around. Dana was over excited and wanted to show her idol everything while Starfire obliged, liking the smile that came to Dana's young face. She liked kids. They were just so energetic and full of life. It was too cute. Robin's smile faded when he looked back over at Raven and remembered what they had been talking about before.

He continued to answer her questioning look, "It just seems strange."

He couldn't shake the feeling that she was growing a bit hesitant about this, "Robin... We still don't know if she even took anything. Let's just wait and leave it at that. Don't..."

"Are you going to say to not obsess over this like everyone else?" Robin asked, not accusingly, though, to Raven's slight relief.

Raven's eyes narrowed as she looked at the ground. Being the telepath of the group, she knew the weaknesses of others. She knew a lot of things that they didn't even realize. It wasn't her fault, but when she slept, their dreams, sometimes, just to feel, she would take in their feelings, good or bad.

With Robin, her mind bond with him only allowed for so much. Robin had been trained to conceal his thoughts by putting up a mental barrier. If she had a mind bond with anyone else, she would practically know their life. Robin was another story. She barely had an idea. But it was an idea and it gave her insight for the reason for his... protectiveness.

"Robin, you don't even know what you become when you get into this 'obsession mode' of yours. You'd barely recognize yourself. You should see yourself when obsess about things like Slade. It's just... unhealthy and almost disturbing sometimes." She told him. She wasn't saying it to be mean. She was just stating the facts.

"Raven, I'm not obsessing. You know that I'm just trying to keep everything I have as it is: Safe," Robin sighed.

"I know. That's why I barely say anything about it, but..." Raven gestured over to their peripheral vision and Robin looked out.

He saw the city. He saw the skyscrapers. He saw the people in the park. He saw the teens playing frisbee and a couple having ice cream. He saw the kids feeding the seagulls. He saw Cyborg and Beast Boy fighting. He saw the Tower in the bay. He saw Starfire standing up after petting a small kitten. But his eyes were still in contemplation as though debating as to whether or not Raven's warning was one that he really needed to heed.

"Don't get wrapped up in this. We'll work on it as a group. Alright? In our experience, nothing good ever comes from diving too deep into these sorts of things. " Raven said from behind. "The miserable think that if they make others miserable it will make them happy. You know that. And don't tell me it's your job to work 'obsessively'. We're teenagers, too. So enjoy it more than just 'a little bit'."

He looked at the ground and then at her, asking, "Raven, if it is anything, it's a robbery. Why are you so worried?"

Raven hugged her sides slightly and answered him slowly, "I don't know. I'm just, I don't like it."

"Neither do I." Robin told her.

They watched the scene in front of them. Raven watched the boys with a corner of her eye on Robin as he gazed over at Starfire who was saying good-bye to Dana. She smiled slightly. She knew that Starfire could bring Robin to his senses with more luck than her or the others without even trying sometimes which was by far a good thing. She wasn't good with igniting emotions or dousing them anyway and well, the guys were... guys. Plus, the two could be kind of cute. She just wondered when Cyborg and Beast Boy would start making bets. Starfire came over to them, flying slightly above the ground.

"They are so adorable when they are young. Thank you for not being upset at me for going off with her." Starfire said, as she stopped in front of them.

"It's no problem, Star. Wanna go for a walk?" Robin asked.

Starfire nodded and answered while landing. "Oh yes, that would be most enjoyable."

The three of them started walking. Cyborg had finally gotten a hold of BB who had received injury enough to make them even. They came running up behind the others and the five began to talk about what they wanted to do that evening. The sun was dipping down, but it had enough energy in it to keep it floating above the horizon. The Titans kept walking, their outlines marking them shadows against the orange and purple sky.

Once inside the T-Car, their silhouettes disappeared and they headed for the Tower. Upon arrival, most of the Titans dispersed. Raven went back to her room and threw off the old pair of jeans. She kept reflecting over why it was that she could be having these feelings about this. Robin was right. It was just a robbery. But it felt bigger, scarier, more threatening to her. It was irrational. Totally irrational. They both knew that. So why couldn't she shake the feeling?

Raven lit a couple candles and incense. Maybe it was just her father's influence messing with her powers. Maybe her powers were going haywire. Maybe someone was messing with her. Maybe it was nothing. But... What if it wasn't? Raven sighed and began to levitate.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos..." Her chanting, rich in composure, calmed her slightly as she mentally scolded herself.

She had no reason for any of these feelings. At least, none that she knew of. If she had known that there was someone hacking their security system right now, then she would have. If she had known that they were watching Robin smiling at Starfire as they walked down the hallways, then she would have. If she had known that they were focusing on Robin's slightly happy step in his stride, she would have. And if she had known that that someone had one eye, then she would have had her reason.

But she didn't. There was no way of knowing. No way for her or anyone else for that matter to know that one of their most dangerous opponents was watching half way across the continent their tower, their leader.

Slade watched as Robin talked to Starfire and then he watched as the two parted ways when they reached his room. He watched as Robin fell flat on his bed and then got up to write on a dry erase board two new things: 'Write up a report for Cook's' and underneath that 'Check Cook's Inventory'. He smiled. Smart boy. He was getting somewhere and he had no doubt that Robin could connect this to Mad Mod. Could he link it to him? It was a slight possibility. At the rate Robin was going, though, he'd have starve himself of sleep to find out in time to have any chance of stopping him. And then if he didn't sleep, he'd have no energy to even put up a fight. It was a catch-22 situation in his favor.

And, besides, Robin was a teenager. Teenagers wanted to make those years like a movie. Teenagers wanted to have fun. They wanted to fall in love and go to parties and make rivalries and have contests and watch TV thrillers. It was a literal checklist of what they had to do during those appointed high school years. Robin was no different. He didn't realize it all of the time, but he still had all of those qualities despite his disposition to be fastidious when it came to his work. It was one of the few weaknesses that Slade didn't blame Robin for having, just because of the boy's age. On the plus side, it made his job that much easier.

Needless to say, he wasn't worried. The boy would learn of his plans as soon as it suited him. When that would be was... still up to debate. It was early in the afternoon in Gotham. The sunny disposition of the area didn't reflect Gotham as a whole. It didn't bother him. Jump's view had taught him that even in the most perfect of cities, there were always shadows, always places to hide. And Gotham, it spoke for the world in terms of both diversity and danger. Robin had been taught to fight in one of the most crime ridden cities that the world had to offer. That's why he was so good at what he did and why he could be a challenge.

And Slade didn't waste his time with pathetic cases, anyway. Normally, he wouldn't even plan to use this much time on the ones that were even 'good'. The boy's defiant glares, his constant determination, his total resolve to stop him... Robin had been a thorn in his side for so long, he figured he could take the time to do this right. Slade glanced outside the window to see the street deserted. Kids were at school. Parents were either inside their homes or at work or running errands. He was alone in the townhouse. Wintergreen was nearby, but had been told not to visit unless there was a situation that absolutely called for it.

Slade walked over to his computer and picked up the small computer disk. It was time to put Cheshire's heist to good use.

-T-

**A/N:** Slow, no fights, but everything you needed was there. How did you like it? Please Review! I've totally grown way too attached to this story for my own good already. I hope everyone liked this. I'm working on the next chapter in my head right now, but we'll have to see if I can get all of my work done first. But I'll be back hopefully soon with Chapter Six! Later!

Rena


	6. Chapter 6: The Daily Planet

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Couldn't even buy it. So neither Teen Titans or the DCU will ever be mine.

**Author's Note:** So, how was everyone's Halloween? Hope it was fun. I finally decided to dress up as Lois Lane and watched a movie with my friend. I still can't open a refrigerator without thinking that there will be someone behind the door ready to scream at me. Oh, I do want to mention something before this chapter. There are a lot of names and I want to give credit to those who deserve it. Maggie Sawyer, Jason Bard, and Harvey Bullock are all real characters from the comics. Efrem Austin, Max Wreith, and Liz Bard are not. They are however based off of real things from the comics and also movies. There we go – credit is now given. So that means that you can feel free now to continue reading and I'll go hide in a corner until the end. Ladies and Gents, "Chapter Six: The Daily Planet"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Six: The Daily Planet**

Old Efrem Austin slowly made his way up the stairs. He really had to get out of there. Forty years in Gotham had done him no good. Not really. Good people, different people to meet, but still, he was too old for it. He clutched the banister and made his way up to the top floor. He had a slight limp on his right foot and he could feel his heart beating in his chest. It was ten' o'clock. He was too old for this...

Mr. Austin reached the door to his apartment and fumbled around for his keys. Outside, a car honked at a truck ahead. _'Impatient people'_, Austin thought,_ 'But then again, life's too short sometimes, anyway.'_

Finally, he found his key and somehow managed to shove it into the key hole. He twisted the doorknob and allowed for the door to swing open as he carried in the groceries. He had just made it to the store on time which was good since he would have had to go without breakfast in the morning if that had been the case. He looked around for his cats, Oreo and Twix. He'd probably want his dinner right about... now?

The door shut.

Old Efrem looked around to see the door, shut, closed, and sending the apartment into darkness. That door was way too stubborn, though. Just way too...

"Efrem Austin."

"Who's a there?" Austin turned.

"How long have you lived in Gotham?"

"Now wait just a second, who are you? This is my home! You hear that? That means you're a tresspassin'," Austin continued, "Where are ya?"

"Answer the question."

Efrem looked around. He saw no one. Was he hearing things? There was no one.

"Now don't be no coward and come out," Austin said, "You want my money, take my money, ya coward. Stealing from an old man, why I..."

"Oh, no, I'm not here to steal petty money from you, Mr. Austin, I want something much more valuable from you than that." Austin turned to see a formidable man coming out from behind the curtains of his windows.

He was covered in leather, steel armor, and was enclosed in shadows. But there were no ears, no bat on his chest. Not even two eyes. One. One eye with a black and orange mask with the makings of the terrors of Halloween.

"Who, who are you?"

"That doesn't matter," the man said coming up to the old man and pinning him against the wall, "Get out of Gotham."

Austin was having trouble breathing and he couldn't feel his feet on the ground as he managed, "What?"

"Get. Out. Of. Gotham."

"I, uh, no! This is my home, I'm not a gonna stand for this. You can't just tell an ol' feller to up and move," Mr. Austin told him.

"I'm not telling you to, Mr. Austin," the man said, "It's not exactly an option."

"I'm not a leavin'," Austin told him again.

The man dropped him to the ground. He took out a pack of matches as Efrem watched him light them. He started walking back to Austin, dropping match after match after match. Fire.

"Oh yes, you are, Mr. Austin," he said, "One way... or another."

-T-

There was a thick smell of smoke and burnt wood when James Gordon entered the crime scene. It was a mess outside. All of the occupants had evacuated the building, most of them either elderly or new couples with small children. The firemen had finally put the fire out. But there was a problem. Someone hadn't made it out. Mr. Reynolds, the owner of the complex, had told Bullock that he had heard two gun shots and that when all of the occupants had been rounded up. Efrem Austin, a long time resident, was missing. They soon found out why. It had been old Efrem's apartment. Luckily, the fire hadn't spread past his apartment, but that was now in shambles.

Jim walked in and looked around. Out on the other side, near where the windows had been, there were two noticeable holes. The man was dead. On the ground were slight fragments of bones. _'Poor guy,'_ Jim thought. Sometimes he was surprised that the depressing subject matter hadn't made him retire yet.

They were waiting for Jason Bard to arrive. He had told Sawyer to stay outside and wait for him while he went up. She was having a fit, though. Possibly one of the most outspoken members of the GCPD, Sawyer kept repeating the one thing that they all knew: It was too much of a coincidence. Max Wreith is presumed dead after being supposedly shot and killed. It happened almost a week ago. Jim had decided that listening to over half an hour of Sawyer's constant reminders was enough and that he needed some quiet time to think.

"Gordon."

Jim looked up to see behind him an imposing figure. One however, that he had grown used to over the years.

"He's dead, shot or burned or both," Gordon told him, "Baffles me why they chose him, though. Probably at the end of his life, anyway."

"But he still wasn't dead," he said, walking over to the middle.

Gordon watched as Batman looked around the room, taking pictures with his cowl maybe or gathering shrivels of evidence here and there. What the man was looking for, Jim had no idea. That was Bard's specialty, not his. Probably where the fire started. The Dark Knight bent down looking at the bones on the floor.

"May I?" he asked. It really wasn't a question, just a courtesy.

"Sure, bet Bard can deal with one bone less," Gordon told him, but he paused before continuing, "Do you think that it could do with Wreith's murder?"

The man was silent as he worked but gave a curt nod as an answer. There was always that possibility. The whole investigation took only minutes. Efficient was one way to describe it. Fantastically incredible was another. Gordon was one of the few who knew outside of the so called 'vigilante' department of law enforcement that Batman was not just a legendary fighter, but also one of the smartest men alive.

"But why would they choose Wreith and then Austin? They have nothing in... common?" Gordon trailed off when he realized that he was once again alone.

He sighed. It figures. He should know by now that Batman isn't much of a talker. Still, one would think that the man could at least say that he was leaving. Well, it didn't matter right now anyway. Never did. Gordon heard a pounding of footsteps up the staircase.

"Gordon, Gordon! I'm here, I'm..." Bard burst in, followed by Sawyer.

Gordon only smiled, "You're a little late."

Bard looked around and realized that he was beaten once again to the scene. Stomping on the ground once, he yelled, "Every time! What? Can the guy teleport or something?"

Sawyer smiled as she commented, "That's a distinct possibility."

Bard only glared at her while Gordon laughed under his breath. He looked around the burnt room and bits of bones on the floor. A distinct possibility. That's what this whole place was. Wreith, now Austin. This town was getting worse. Way worse.

-T-

"I still can't believe that he changed the password," Robin told Alfred who was busy cleaning the computer controls.

"Master Dick, you're well aware that he changes those passwords at least once a month," Alfred told him, dusting a particularly nasty spot of dust off the giant coin.

"Yeah, but normally he emails me about it so I don't have to make these phone calls," Robin muttered on screen.

"He is very busy, Master Dick, you know that," Alfred continued, "And who knows? Perhaps he wanted the phone call. You don't call very often."

"What are you talking about? I call you at least once a week," Robin responded.

"You call me, Master Dick, not Master Bruce," Alfred explained, as he got down from a ladder.

Robin silently fumed and slouched in his seat, "Yeah, well, it's not like he's much of a talker anyway."

Over the speaker, Robin heard a loud screech of tires on pavement "That him?"

"Yes, I'll get him," Alfred said.

"You can just get me the password," Robin called, but knowing Alfred, that wasn't going to happen.

If there was one thing about Alfred that neither Bruce nor Dick really liked, it was the fact that he was always right. But it proved to be more of an advantage in the end. At this point in time, Alfred had watched time drive a wedge between the Dynamic Duo and he knew that this fight would only get worse if they let it go. Both Robin and Batman knew this, but they weren't about to admit it. Honestly, the two could be so stubborn. He walked down the long staircase to the garage where the Caped Crusader was climbing out of the Batmobile. He looked as solemn as ever as he approached Alfred and handed him a small bag.

"How was your evening, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

"Another homicide, Alfred," Batman told him.

"Oh my. I hope it wasn't too..."

"A fire, two bullets, same as Max Wreith," He told the butler as they headed up to the computer.

"You think it's connected?" Alfred asked.

"I know they are," came the response.

"Well, in any case, before you go into this full scale investigation, Master Dick is on the line and he wishes to speak with you," Alfred told him.

"What about?"

"A password and I'm assuming that you know what that means," He answered without expression.

Bruce sighed as they finally reached the top. Alfred handed him the bag again and walked off to finish cleaning whatever presents their nocturnal friends above had left. Batman didn't even look up at the monitor as he began to take out the collected samples from the bag.

"Nice to see you too," Robin said curtly.

"The password's 'Siberia' this month," Batman told him, again without even looking up.

"Gee, thanks, couldn't you just send an email?" Robin asked, trying to bring up a point.

"You haven't needed to use the rogue's information for the past two and a half months," Bruce answered back.

"I still used it," Robin told him.

Robin fumed when he didn't get an answer, "So I'm just cut off from the Rogue's Gallery just because I'm not over in dark and dirty Gotham?"

That made him look up. "I've just been a little busy and besides, I've got bigger problems to worry about than sending you a password. What do you need it for?"

Robin scrunched up his eyes and folded his arms. For a moment, he debated as to whether or not he really wanted to tell Bruce. But he knew he'd end up telling him anyway. No need to act like an immature kid about it. After all, that's why he was in Gotham, definitely not in Jump.

"We've had two robberies within the past half month with similar circumstances," Robin told him. "I was wondering if there was anything like that happening in Gotham or if the JLA had picked up on something like that."

"I'll save you the trouble, the JLA hasn't dealt with any major robberies within the past three months. In Gotham, I haven't picked up on any real robberies; been too busy," Bruce told him, again focused on his work.

"With what?"

"Homicides."

Robin raised a brow. Alright, maybe he should cut the guy a little slack, "What about them?"

Bruce was quiet for a moment and answered, "Similar circumstances, both burned and shot. I'm trying to see if there's a connection or if this is the work of a random psychopath who likes to play with fire."

"Firefly maybe?"

"Arkham."

"Oh, well... Need any help?" Robin offered.

"No."

Robin looked off to the side and looked back at the camera. It was around ten at night. He'd probably stay up past three.

"Alright, well, I guess... thanks for the password," Robin said.

"Want to talk to Alfred?" Bruce offered, not really paying attention.

"No, it's alright," Robin sat up, "Later."

The line terminated. Bruce barely noticed. He did, however, notice the taping of a foot. He looked up to see Alfred's eyes narrowed in a glare.

"What?" Bruce asked, harshly.

Alfred shook his head, "You could have used the boy's help. And instead, you've just opted to keep me up all night so that you could discuss the possibilities with _me_."

"You've never complained before," Batman said in a low tone.

"Oh for goodness sake, that's not the point and you know it," Alfred cried.

"You're right," Batman said, surprising Alfred for a moment. "Figuring out if the murders are linked is the point of tonight."

Alfred shook his head and looked up as the ceiling only to see the thousands of bats stare aimlessly down at him, "What are your goals this time, Master Wayne?"

"Austin was once an elite social figure in Gotham, to an extent. Wreith's hard though, I don't know much about him. I want to find out if there's a connection between Wreith and Austin. The evidence that their murders are linked leads to the fact that they were nearly undoubtedly caused by the same person or persons," Batman answered.

"So that leaves the connection?"

"No."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"That leaves the connection and who the killer is," The harsh emphasis on killer almost made Alfred feel sorry for whoever this 'killer' was.

"Do you have any idea as to who it could be, Master Wayne?" he inquired.

"A couple for starters but I..."

A sudden ringing came from the leather bag that Bruce had brought down that evening in his rush to get back from Wayne Tower.

"Alfred, could you?"

"Already on it, sir," Alfred told him as he made a quick stride over and opened the small cell phone.

"Wayne residence," He began, "How may I help..."

"Alfred, old man, how are you doing?"

Alfred looked at the receiver, baffled as the speaker continued, "Hey, pal, why don't you put Wayne on the line, I just want to chat."

"I'm sorry, but who is this?" he asked, his proper British accent rich as he did so.

"It's Luthor, Lex Luthor, from Metropolis, you remember?" Lex said. He was kicking back in his office and watching the night get darker.

"I, uh, well..." Alfred began, knowing that Batman wouldn't want to take the call, but finally replied, "I'll get him."

"Who is it Alfred?" Batman asked, gruffly.

Alfred handed him the phone, "A Mr. Lex Luthor from Metropolis."

Bruce held back a groan as he pulled off his cowl and began talking, the harsh and dangerous tone replaced by a care free, tired drawl, "Lex, how's things in the big golden city?"

"Fine Bruce, fine," Luthor answered, "You know, it's hard to get your cell phone number."

Bruce managed to laugh, "Well, I normally don't take phone calls in the middle of the night."

"But that's just it," Lex began, "I couldn't sleep unless I was able to do this. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's only two in the morning, Lex," Bruce told him.

"Well, it's two here. Listen Bruce, do you remember when I asked about Wayne Bio-Tech and Aerospace?"

Bruce inwardly sighed, "Yes, I remember, Luthor."

"Listen, I'm still up for the offer. It's still good and quite frankly, I think it would be a good deal for the both of us," Luthor said, attempting to negotiate.

"Luthor, I'm sorry, but I believe I turned it down. It's going to stay that way," his tone was still light, but had taken a sharp turn.

"Wayne, Bruce, please, I'm sure it would benefit your company..." Luthor began, realizing that he was losing this already.

"I'm sorry, Luthor. But I don't need your money. I don't need your resources and honestly, I don't exactly trust your criminal record," Bruce said bluntly.

"Wayne, this isn't about..." Luthor began.

"You can't convince me of that. I'm sorry Luthor, but the answer is still 'no'," Batman finally emerged in his gruffness and hung up.

Inside the top of LexCorp, Luthor fumed. His temple throbbed and the phone began to shake in his clenched hand.

"Wayne!"

He threw the phone against the wall, breaking it. Lex walked back over to his desk and leaned over. He breathed, trying to control his temper._ 'Now Lex, no need to get so worked up. Criminal record... why I oughta'...'_ His train of thought went. Luthor walked around his desk and picked up the land line, dialing a number.

"Pick the phone up or I'll..."

"Hello."

"Slade, what on earth are you doing?" Luthor demanded.

Slade could only smile as he put Luthor on speaker, "Do I sense a hint of impatience?"

"Answer the question, Slade. Believe it or not, some of us do have schedules to keep," Luthor told him.

Slade was standing in the middle of an arsenal and Luthor's words were but mere flies buzzing in his ear and face, "I'm doing what you hired me to do."

"I said kill Wayne," Luthor explained, "Not have tea and cookies with him."

"Luthor, this business is complicated. You want this done right don't you?" Slade said, running his fingers over the many weapons, some metallic guns, others silver swords.

"Well, of course, but Slade this is ridiculous!" Luthor shouted.

"How much do you want to bet that I'm the only one who could kill you on our supposed side?" Slade asked suddenly.

Lex stopped pacing in his office. Had he just been threatened?

"Oh no, that wasn't a threat Luthor, that was an analogy. You and Wayne both are very wealthy individuals. And while he probably doesn't share your same IQ in the science of space and aliens, from what I've found, he's smart and he's got a lot of smart guys watching his back," Slade told Luthor as he took down a blade from the wall, "Not to mention, I've got the Dark Knight to deal with. That's probably more protection to get past than the President of the United States has."

Lex stood still on the other line. This is the one thing that he hated when it came to dealing with Slade's type. They were smart and they knew it.

"So do you want this done or don't you, Mr. Luthor?" Slade asked very passively.

Lex closed his eyes and suddenly, let out a breath and laughed, "There's a reason why they call you Deathstroke the Terminator, isn't there?"

Slade smiled as he ran his finger down to the tip of the blade, "Oh, Mr. Luthor, you don't even know the half of it."

"I'm sure, Slade, I'm sure," Luthor said over the line, no longer angry, only amused, "Just get it done before I meet my death day."

Slade heard Luthor hang up. He smiled. This was all just too easy.

-T-

"Lane!"

Jimmy and Clark turned, as did a number of others, to see White and Lane in his office arguing. This wasn't unusual. They did it several times a day in fact. If it hadn't been for Lois's reputation as a reporter, she'd have been fired ages ago. After this slight outburst, most of them turned away to continue typing as though running a marathon. Jimmy returned to cleaning his lenses and Clark continued to file some of his old papers. However, both of them kept an ear out to what the two were saying so they'd be prepared for when Lois took Perry's ranting out on them.

"Chief, this isn't fair! I'm already half way through and..."

"You don't have proof and I need you on this assignment!"

"I'd have proof if you would just give me time! Make Clark go! He likes Gotham!"

Jimmy snorted at Clark's startled look. Clark didn't Gotham. No one smiles there. That was way too depressing for the Smallville farm boy.

"I'm running a newspaper Ms. Lane. We don't have time. And I'm sorry but I'm not sending Clark to Gotham. He just got back a couple weeks ago."

"So? It was a party! I didn't even get invited to the one I was covering!"

"You mean the one Luthor threw that I specifically said 'do not cover'?"

"Chief!"

"Lane! That's it! Kent! In here now!"

Jimmy looked over at Clark who braced himself as he got up, slouched as always, to go into the hurricane.

"Yes, Chief?" Clark asked as he went in.

Lois looked like she was ready to murder someone. Funny though, she always managed to look pretty in any situation. Perry was leaning over his desk, his face nearly red in anger. He'd have to watch it otherwise one day that temple of his would burst.

"Would you be so kind and tell me what this is?"

Perry held up to Clark's face a newspaper print with big bold letters at the top.

"Um, I think that it's a copy of the Daily Star, Mr. White," he answered.

"Would you be so kind as to tell Ms. Lane here the cover story?" Perry asked, obviously trying to get at something.

Clark squinted, even though he didn't need to in order to read the cover, "Gotham's Pyro-Homocides?"

"Exactly," Perry explained, "I want to know how a story like this could get past us and onto their cover!"

"Chief," Lane began, "Luthor's been..."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT LUTHOR!!!" Perry screamed making Clark cover his ears, "I care about these homicides."

Clark intervened for a moment, "Wait, Chief, what about Luthor?"

"Luthor's been..."

"Don't get her started, Kent," Perry told him, "We can still get an edge on this story. The Daily Star only reported that they were happening. I want to know who, when, where, how, and most importantly why which is why I'm assigning both of you to this story."

"Chief, I..."

"No, Lois, your Luthor stories are out of the question right now," Perry told her, "They're coming up with nothing."

"Chief, I can just take care of the homicide story on my own..."

"No. I need your connections and Lane's snooping. This isn't optional Kent. You're both working on it," Perry said and they both knew his word was final.

Both started to walk to the door when Lois called back, "Fine, when the world blows up because of Luthor, don't say I didn't tell you so!"

Perry laughed, "You never said that in the first place!"

Clark pulled the door open and let Lois pass by. She marched right back to her cubical that was across from his. Jimmy looked up happily as Lois sat down and started muttering something under her breath.

"Went well?" Jimmy asked.

"Can't believe this," Lois muttered, "Luthor's up to something which is probably much more dangerous than some sort of murderer obsessed with fire."

"Wait, Lois?" Clark asked and she turned to face him, "What about Luthor?"

Lois looked up at him scrutinizing for a second and then answered, "He's up to something. That party, you know, Jimmy knows this, but it was impossible to get in. I don't even know how people got in and I know they did. The noise got louder. And now Luthor's bank account's going nuts. Some of his money is just disappearing to who knows where. Can't believe Perry cut me off."

Clark thought for a moment. This wasn't good. When Luthor money goes missing it was never a good sign. Maybe he should call in a League member to do some tracking...

"Clark? Clark? Clark!" Lois snapped, bringing Clark out of his train of thought.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Lois, just thinking about this. Look, if we finish up the homicide story, then you can work to catch up on Luthor's business deals. I'll help you if you want," Clark offered.

Lois smiled after a moment of thought, "Alright, fine, but any idea as to how we could get this done quickly?"

"Remember those connections I have?" Clark asked, "I'll see what I can find through them. Do you want to track down these two guys records' in the mean time?"

"Sure, I'll see what I can find," Lois answered.

"I could try to get my hands on some photos from the crime scenes," Jimmy suggested, "Maybe there's something to 'em."

"That'd be swell, Jimmy," Clark said.

Lois shook her head. There was no way on Earth or anywhere else that they were going to be able to convince Clark that no one said 'swell' anymore. She hesitated for a moment and watched Clark. If there was one thing that she liked about him, it was that he trusted her on her leads. That and he was a great multi-tasker. Perry just liked his typing and spelling skills.

Clark had just opened up an email when the phone rang, "Hello?"

"Clark?"

"Dick?"

"Who is it Clark?"

"Nephew," he answered.

Lois raised a brow, "Aren't you an only child?"

Robin suppressed a small laugh as he listened to Clark's excuse, "It's a family-friend sort of thing, Lois."

"Sorry, Dick, what's up?"

"Not much, nice cover by the way. Has she been on your throat lately?" Robin asked.

"On and off it seems," Clark answered.

"How do you deal with that?"

"Don't know, I just manage," Clark told him, "That's not why you called, is it?"

"No, I'm just..." Robin paused for a second, "I just need some advice in that whole balancing life department."

Clark pulled as his shirt's collar. Perhaps it was because Dick had said it in such a way as to make that topic seem so casual and minimal that worried him. How on earth did parents deal with things like this? Unfortunately, he guessed that Bruce didn't or didn't do a very good job in that area. And that was saying something considering that he, The Clark Kent, always tried to see the good in everyone.

Clark calmly asked, "Did you ask Bruce?"

"No," Robin answered automatically as though it made no difference, "I don't want to. Besides, I think you'd be the one that would give more... healthier advice."

He was alone in his room just pacing. The others were hanging out somewhere and he had declined the invitation to join them. All together, they had come to ask him to come with them. Their faces when he said 'no thanks' had all turned slowly from smiles of enthusiasm to frowns of disappointment. Even Raven's normal blank face was slightly more depressing. It wasn't that this hadn't happened before. It was more so that he was feeling equally heavy pressure from both ends of the equation. Call Bruce about it? No, it's too trivial a thing for him and one that he wouldn't care about anyway.

"Well, what are you trying to balance?" Clark asked.

Robin tried to explain with a sigh, "Saving lives and living my own, I guess."

Clark thought for a moment. Robin was right about one thing. He probably was better suited to ask this than Bats was. Actually, it was probably because of Batman that Robin didn't know how to find that balance.

"There's another crime spree and I tell myself that it will only be a short break from hanging with my friends, but I know that it never will be," Robin added, "And they do too."

Clark sighed and finally answered, "Dick, I, well, you're not an adult yet. So that means that you don't have to work for a living."

"Yeah…but I still have to work to keep people alive, " Robin said, collapsing on his bed and looking up at the ceiling.

"Dick, I don't think that's your job," Clark answered.

"Bruce does."

Clark looked down at his brown shoes, "Well, it's not. That's a responsibility, that if anything, your team shares as a whole."

Robin sighed, and off handedly asked, "Clark, what's it like to fly?"

Clark was taken back by the question, but answered, "It's… weightless, why?"

Clark waited for a response, but nothing came. Robin tore off his mask. No one was there. No one would see. He didn't feel like Robin right now anyway. He didn't feel like anybody come to think of it. No, that wasn't true. He felt like Dick. He felt like he was striving for something that he couldn't see, couldn't pin point. Weightless, that sounded so good right now.

But no, life wouldn't be like that. Why? Because he had never received the call to take a brake.

"Dick? Are you there?" Clark rubbed his eyes amazed at what parents had to go through.

"Yeah, I'm here," Dick said after a moment.

"Go hang out with your friends," Clark told him, "That's where you want to be, isn't it?"

Dick looked out of the corner of his eye at his desk. That could be considered an… unofficial call, right? It might not be Bruce, but then again, who could be more of an official in this stuff than Clark? The guy was Superman after all. He could deal with that, even if his mentor was really in Gotham City and not Metropolis.

He answered in almost a whisper, "Guess so."

"Dick, don't isolate yourself. You've seen the good that's done Bruce all these years," Clark told him.

Dick sighed and answered as he nodded, "Alright. Thanks, Clark."

"No problem, kid," Clark answered.

Dick held the phone for a moment and right before he hung up he heard something on the other end.

"So who's this kid you were talking to? Is he on a sports team or something?"

He smiled and hung up. He grabbed his mask and fit it back onto his face. He pulled on his cape and walked to the door, picking up his communicator and leaving the cell phone on his desk. Intentionally he didn't look at the files on his desk as he opened and closed the door, ready to do what Clark had said and ride into the city to find his friends.

The files sat there on the desk. Not moving. The Manila paper was covered in finger marks made by pizza grease. It could have looked like a collection of comic book stories, with all of the titles. Magic, Martial Artists, Extraterrestrials, Legends, Myths, Robberies, Kidnappings, Traitors, Atlanteans, Homicides, Natural Disasters, and Super Villains. All tabs on different subjects.

Cheshire's file was pulled up, as was Blackfire's and Mad Mod's. Next to those were "Homicides" and "Robberies". Maybe he didn't really need "Homicides" to be out. But for Robin, it was only a natural impulse to be ready. To be ready to help Batman if he needed him. He knew that he probably wouldn't call, but sometimes, being that help was what he lived for. Being that help for anyone was something that he lived for.

On the corner was an old file that was never, ever, put away. One name at the top. One name who owned the mask that was up on the bedroom wall. It was a name that had imprinted humiliation, pain, suffering, and fear into Robin's memory. Most of the time, he suppressed it because it showed his weakness. The bad guy above all other bad guys. But he didn't have to worry. Not really. He did, but it was considered a bit pointless. Slade hadn't shown his face (or rather mask) for months since he appeared to Beast Boy at the deserted Carnival.

He wasn't a prominent danger to Jump. So his file shouldn't be out. But it was. It always would be. Just in case. Just as a reminder. Just as a file?

Never.

-T-

Jason Bard got home around seven. It was pouring rain outside, the gutters seemingly overflowing with water. Bard locked his car up and ran inside. Opening the door, he pulled off his coat and put his suitcase down to the side. He kicked off his shoes and smelled something cooking in the kitchen. Ham maybe, or no, chicken. Chicken and something else. His hair was wet, but it would dry soon.

"Liz? I'm home, hun!" He yelled.

"Jay?" Liz looked around the corner from the kitchen, using her name for him.

Jason walked over and planting a kiss on Liz's cheek, "How was your day?"

"Alright," Liz smiled, "Dinner's almost ready."

"Great, I'm starving. Can I help at all?" he asked, giving her a hug and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Not really, I've got it," Liz answered.

She was grabbing a couple utensils and was having a bit of a hard time since Jason wasn't letting go. He was holding onto her and rubbing her stomach, which was... larger than normal. They were going to wait and see if it would be a boy or a girl.

"Alright," Jason told her, "I'll just put my stuff up, kay?"

"Be down in five minutes then," she replied.

He kissed her cheek and then walked over to grab his suitcase so that he could bring it upstairs.

"By the way, I think it's going to be a girl," he told her.

"I think it's gonna be a boy!" she called back.

The lights were off and the only source of light came from the computer in their bedroom and the lightning flashing from outside, threatening any who dared to defy it. But he didn't need the light and they were on a tight budget anyway. He opened the door to his bedroom and put his suitcase onto his desk. Opening it up, he pulled out his notes on the homicides.

The one thing that many people asked him was why he went into this line of work. It was really just a fascination. He loved to study forensics and after a while, the depressing element of his work was lifted by the fact that the entire department had a bit of sarcastic sense of humor to it. Most of that humor was to keep them from dying from depression, though. Normally, he wouldn't work on the homicides at home, but Gordon had told him that if he could get any leads or any information out of what he had right now, it would be a huge advantage. And at this point, an advantage was something that they were lacking in.

He sighed. He had to run an analysis on the bones, but at least the DNA scan had been done and had come up...

"Jason Bard."

Jason turned on the spot, "Who's there?"

"You head up the homicides division in the Gotham City Police Department."

Who was this? Batman? Finally he answered, "Yeah, why?"

"Because you have information that can't get out."

Not Batman. Definitely not Batman.

Jason's heart pumped fast in his chest as a figure emerged, "Who? Who are..."

"Names of are no relevance right now. I'm giving you a chance. Destroy the information."

Jason looked at his briefcase. He thought of Gordon and Sawyer. He thought of Liz and the baby. Now the murderer was in his house. He was dangerous and he was going to get what he wanted one way or another. Bard knew that this really wasn't much of chance. But he might as well do something.

"No," he answered, "That's not up to me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Slade said quietly, "It's quite a shame."

Bard's eyes widened and his heart beat rapidly. Why had he left his jacket and gun downstairs? The man walked forward. He had one eye that was narrowed, dangerous, and deadly. This was so bad...

Jason was gone an awfully long time, considering that dinner was calling his name. Liz picked up a dish on the table to fill and called up, "Jay, dinner!"

No sounds, no answer.

"Jason?" she yelled.

Liz walked over to the stairs and called up again, "Jason? Honey?"

She looked up. Again no sounds. It bothered her. She walked up the steps and suddenly she could hear something. Rain water and the thunder were louder. Their bedroom door was open.

"Jason?" She asked. Nothing.

"Jason, this better not be a joke," she called.

No answer. She grasped the door handle. As she opened up the door, she looked around. The window was open. She gasped as behind her, she saw Jason's computer explode, lighting the desk on fire. Jason was gone. He would have come at the sound of the exploding computer. She dropped the plate in her hands and it shattered in her moment of panic. This was wrong.

This was all wrong.

-T-

**A/N:** So, what did you think? Please review and tell me! There wasn't much of the Titans and there was a lot more of phone conversations, but the world of the DCU is a big place and it can't always focus on our five favorite teen heroes. Anyhow, I thought it was important to show the passage of time and also how Dick/Robin relates once again to those outside of the Titans. And of course, Slade's plan is now even more complicated. I hope I'm not giving anyone a headache since there's a lot of things that have yet to be explained. But all in due time, things will begin to unravel, I assure you. So anyway hope you're all enjoying the story. I'll be back with Chapter Seven hopefully soon! Later!

Rena


	7. Chapter 7: Interrogations & Information

**Disclaimer:** Oh come on! Give me a break. Like that would ever happen. I don't own Teen Titans or the DCU. I'm bored so I can't think of anything exciting to say.

**Author's Note:** So here I am at my computer just finishing up this chapter with two A/A/N's and I must say that I don't think I've ever written so much dialogue in my life. I guess my friends are right -- I do listen more than I actually talk. But no need to worry, the climax of this section of the story is coming up very soon. Considering this chapter though, it just might be one of those chapters where people start to solve problems... or create new ones... Oh well, you decide.

Two things before I let you read the chapter. One, is I want to say 'thank you' once again, to alibi2014, for her insights into Jinx. Two, I want to let people know that I'm going to be working on another story just for the month of December (It's the continuation of my one-shot "A Child's Christmas Present"). That does NOT mean that Custody will not be updated. I plan to be able to put out all of the intended chapters that month. But if they're a couple days late, please forgive me. Okay. There we go. I said what I needed to say. Here's the chapter, 'Interrogations and Information'!

-T-

**Custody **

**Chapter Seven: Interrogations and Information**

"You scuz-munching creeps! Take that!"

"Ah! My baby!"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

"Kyd Wykkyd, are you okay?"

"Ow."

"Cyborg, forget the car!"

"Billy, what'd ya do that for?"

"Nawt my fault, Billy."

Chaos was a good way to describe downtown Jump right now. With the Hive Five running around and the Titans each tackling a new opponent every five minutes, there was no telling who was winning or losing. The only thing that all of the Titans were sure about was that they all wanted to hit Gizmo. Raven had changed from facing the Kyd Wykkyd to helping Beast Boy with the Billies. Robin was fighting Gizmo while Cyborg took on See-More. Starfire, meanwhile, dealt with Mammoth, which was turning out to be a sorry sight.

"Here I am."

"No, here I am."

"Oh you forgot about me, Billy!"

Raven looked at the multiple Billies in disgust, "No matter how many times he duplicates himself, he'll never be able to improve himself."

"Raven, how many times has he multiplied? I've lost count," Beast Boy asked, after being thrown across the street and changing back from a tiger.

He had been attempting to keep Billy Numerous from leaving the area, but had failed when Billy had literally come up behind him to move BB out of his way.

Billy began to surround them as Raven answered, "In my opinion, there's too many for my liking."

Meanwhile, See-More taunted Cyborg as he floated above him, "Sorry 'bout the car, man. It was just too pretty to not look at."

"Oh you'll be really sorry in a minute," Cyborg told him.

With a yell, he blasted See-More's balloon eye out of the sky. See-More landed on the ground only to have Mammoth fall on top of him after being thrown down to the ground by Starfire who was smiling above their heads.

"Told ya, you'd be sorry," Cyborg said with a smirk, "And now for Gizmo."

With her opponent down for the count, Starfire took the opportunity to take out Kyd Wykkyd, "I do not wish to fight you."

"Trust me, neither do I," Kyd Wykkyd replied, as though thoroughly bored, "Doesn't mean I won't, though."

He started to disappear into a hole in his cape, but Starfire, not exactly willing to have her opponent just walk out on her, grabbed his shoe and pulled him out and threw him into the air. Kyd Wykkyd looked down only to see Starfire coming up with a starbolt in her hand.

"Crud," he muttered, before receiving a pounding headache and passing out on top of the pile of the Hive Five that was quickly filling up.

Before going off to help Raven and Beast Boy with the Billies, Starfire finished by saying, "You have brought this upon yourself."

"You nose pickin' snot brain, I'd like to see you try to get me!" Gizmo yelled at Robin and Cyborg, while flying circles around them. He was supposed to be leading them since he was the smartest of the group.

"Who are you callin' a nose picker?" Cyborg yelled, shooting out his hand to grab on to Gizmo, effectively keeping the little rascal distracted for a brief moment.

Robin used the opportunity to yell orders to the others, "Don't let him get away! Surround him!"

Raven nodded and began to create a wall surrounding Billy Numerous while Beast Boy and Starfire teamed up to just plain start knocking out all of the Billies to keep him from re-multiplying. Finally, Gizmo got rid of Cyborg's hand and was once again taunting the two Titans.

"Is this the best you got?" Gizmo asked, laughing.

"You're one to talk," Robin remarked, "Unless you didn't notice, you're losing."

"Maybe that doesn't matter to me," Gizmo told him, "By the way, how much goop did you put in your hair this morn..."

"Hey Gizzy! Hey Gizzy! I got that thing-a-ma-gig you wanted!" A random Billy that Raven had missed yelled.

Robin's eyes widened for a moment as he saw Billy carrying the most random and most dangerous thing in the world that he could possibly have in his hands. Chemical tanks from P.I.Z.Z.A.?

"You idiot! You weren't supposed to bring it here!"

"I wasn't?"

"NO!!!"

"Oh," the Billy shrugged, "sorry."

Robin made a move to focus on Billy, but Gizmo wasn't willing to play nice.

Instantly, he multiplied himself with holographic images to confuse the Titans.

"Billy! Get that and the others out of here! I'll take care of the Titans!" Gizmo yelled.

Acting fast, Billy multiplied and carried off the chemical tanks and the other Hive Five members. Robin and Cyborg fought off the multiple Gizmos hitting each one of them until they disappeared. Finally, just one Gizmo remained. Robin pulled out his bo-staff and pinned Gizmo to the ground.

"You're not doing this for yourself, are you?" Robin asked the kid.

"You'll never know, scuz-muncher," Gizmo answered.

He laughed and then disappeared into oblivion. The other Billies that had been fighting the three Titans vanished as well. They had nothing. Robin was kneeling on the ground, infuriated. The others walked over, unsure as to how to respond to the defeat around him. Robin scrunched up and he let out a yell, slamming his fist into the ground.

"That. Was. Pathetic!"

The others all took a step back as Robin stood up. Nearly all of them looked like they were about ready to hide behind Cyborg. But instead of taking out his anger on them, Robin turned around and stared at the area. It was a littered mess of debris. He let out a sigh.

"That's the third time. This isn't random," he told them, "They don't want what they're stealing. They're stealing this stuff for someone or something else."

"But who would want that junk?" Beast Boy asked.

"Anyone," Robin answered.

His friends looked down. That was the 'we're pathetic because we don't know who's ordering this stuff' answer. Nothing good ever came out of that.

"I want to take the fight to them," Robin said in a low voice.

"What?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire cut in, "But Robin, how will you...?"

"I'm going to the City Jail," Robin told them, "Raven, I want you to call Jinx and Kid Flash. Jinx might be able to help us on this."

Raven nodded slightly, even though she wasn't too sure about this. In fact, they all were a little tentative about it. This spelled 'obsession' for Robin with a capital 'O'.

"Robin," Starfire spoke up, "Why do I not go with you to the jail of the city? Just in the case that I might be of some assistance."

The others nodded in agreement and Robin answered, "Alright. I want Jinx and Kid Flash here at three."

Raven and the boys nodded as they watched Robin and Starfire hop onto the R-Cycle and speed off in the other direction. They looked at each other and sighed.

"He's right, that was kinda pathetic," Cyborg admitted.

"Thanks for the added guilt, Cy," Beast Boy remarked.

"Oh, like you were doing your part?" Raven asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy asked back.

"You let that Billy get away," Raven answered, "That's what it means."

"We don't even know when that Billy duplicated! It's not always my fault!" Beast Boy argued back.

"Whoa, whoa, guys," Cyborg intervened, "Let's take a chill pill and all go back to the tower, alright?"

Raven glared at Beast Boy for a moment and then walked off. Beast Boy sighed and looked down at his shoes.

"What is with her, Cy?" Cyborg led the way to the dented T-Car and answered,

"Well, you know Ray, she's just who knows, you know?"

"What?" Beast Boy asked.

"Never mind, I guess she just was annoyed. That's all," Cyborg told him, "I mean, your game's kinda been on the down side lately..."

Beast Boy glared at him and Cyborg added, "no offense."

They opened up the doors and Cyborg started the car, "And you know, now Jinx is coming, and they never liked each other anyway so..."

"I'm not trying to mess up, Cy," Beast Boy interrupted, "I'm just sort of sick of being put in the back seat sometimes. And seeing Terra's site tampered with has just, I don't know, made me so mad that I couldn't do anything about it."

Cyborg looked out at the road. He could see that. That was one thing that Terra had been to BB. She hadn't ever put him in the backseat without putting herself there as well. No wonder the green dude was frustrated lately.

Quietly Cyborg answered, "I know, man, I know."

"Do you think Robin and Starfire will get anything out of this?" Beast Boy asked.

"I bet five pizza toppings that they kiss before they get back," Cyborg answered.

"Yeah right, you're on," Beast Boy replied, placing the bet of what pizza topping he would risk losing.

The wind whipped the car as they sped in the opposite direction of the jail where Starfire and Robin had just arrived. It was a cold place and the gray stone was turning black with dirt. Starfire shivered as she followed Robin inside. The guards let them pass and slowly, they made their way down deep into the jailhouse. Starfire would have lighted a starbolt, had they not been told to not take out any weapons unless needed. They made their way to a restricted area where Robin took out a small card and opened up the door. Starfire hesitated, but followed seeing that Robin wasn't about to stop.

Suddenly, she found herself being stared at. Not stared at with affection and gratitude, like normal, but with hate and repulsion. Robin was used to this. The faces were nothing to him as the glow from their cells hit his face. Finally, they ended up next to one cell painted green (to avoid red, white, and blue). Robin looked in to see Mad Mod. The man was walking from the sink inside to his bed. Robin knocked on the glass.

"Mad Mod."

Mod looked up and answered, "What is it that cha want?"

"Are you willing to talk?" Robin asked.

"There's no need for me," The old man grumbled.

Robin looked down and then back at Mod. He was about to continue when he heard a voice on the other side,

"You want to talk, Robin?"

Starfire gasped as she turned to see Blackfire behind her in another cell, one that was white this time. Robin looked over and opened her cell, walking inside. Starfire followed staying behind Robin just because she knew that Blackfire's rage at her could be set off at any moment.

"You and Cheshire, you were working for someone. Who?"

"That would be telling now, wouldn't it?" Blackfire answered back.

"I'm giving you a chance to shorten your time here, but I'm not about to waste my time. So be useful for once," Robin told her.

Blackfire walked up to him. Her hands were in clasped gloves to keep her from igniting Starbolts while her shades had mirrors on the inside to reflect any Starlazers. But she smiled, loving her sister's bewildered look and Robin's handsome face.

"I'm really not at liberty to give you that information, says my lawyer," Blackfire answered, walking up to Robin, "But what's the rush?"

"I've got an appointment," Robin answered.

"Well, if I'm right, I should be at a party, but I'm not. So I'm not really in a rush. What bad timing," Blackfire told him sarcastically.

"Talk, or we leave," Robin growled into her face.

Blackfire closed the gap between them and got into Robin's face, "How about I tell you what I know for one delicious kiss?"

Robin's eyes bulged at Blackfire's statement, but it was Starfire who pushed Blackfire to the ground, her eyes glowing emerald green, "This is not the time or the place for your sick games. Do not try them on my friends."

Blackfire wiped her mouth and stood back up. She was having fun. She liked seeing Starfire's anger. That's why she was doing this. Sure, she thought Robin was hot, but he wasn't her type. He was too much of a boy scout. But if she could get under Starfire's skin by doing something low like that, why not?

Although she backed off for a moment, Blackfire decided to turn back to her sister as she stood up. "How's the Titans, darling?"

Starfire looked at Blackfire, her eyes returning to normal and answered, "We are fine. But please, Blackfire you surely do not wish to stay here any longer than need be?"

"Does it scare you, Starfire, this place?" her sister asked.

Starfire clenched her teeth. The thing about growing up with a sibling is that you know when they're playing games and you know how to win. The hardest part about winning, though, is always defying your instincts because they plan on you to follow them. So Starfire held her ground even though she couldn't withstand the temptation to glare resentfully at Blackfire.

Robin moved between the two and continued, "You've got thirty seconds. Use it."

Blackfire's smile diminished in size slightly, but answered, "I'm feeling generous so I'll tell you this: It's amazing how a simple little error can mess everything else up."

Robin glared at her and then turned while Starfire waited for a moment, "Blackfire?"

Her sister turned to see her, but there was a hatred, a loathing, in her eyes. Starfire backed down and sighed, leaving her sister in her cage. And she soon had a new problem to worry about. Robin was already about fifty feet ahead of her, storming out. She quickly flew ahead to catch up with him.

Hesitantly, she tried to make conversation because his silence was irking her, "Robin, I am sorry that my sister was of no help."

When he didn't respond she asked, "Robin?"

He stopped only to swipe a card to let them out and after he headed straight for his bike.

Worried, Starfire flew in front of him and asked, "Robin, are you okay?"

Robin seemed to have just been in a trance as he finally noticed her, "Huh? Oh, sorry, Star. I'm fine. It's just that was a big waste of time."

Starfire looked at him. He was thinking, seeing if he could get anything out of what Blackfire had said. There had to be something and it was probably right in front of... He felt a dizzy spell come over him and he reached out to Starfire for support who quickly caught him to keep him from falling down. Robin brought his hand to his head in an attempt to keep the world from spinning.

"Robin, why...?" she began, but Robin shook his head and stumbled over to his bike so that he wouldn't have to face her.

She caught his arm and looked at him closely and then realization, mixed with worry, came to her, "You have not been having the sleep."

Robin looked up at her and scoffed, "it's nothing."

"What do you mean that it is nothing?" Starfire asked, concerned, "Have you not had any of the sleep?"

Robin paused before answering, "I think I might've had an hour last night."

Starfire looked at him, astonished and confused, "Why?"

Robin finally slid down against his bike to sit down, the fatigue wearing on him, "I... I wanted to spend more time with you... You and the others."

He added it quickly. But yet, she felt a blush come and leave in seconds.

He continued, "but the work. It's just... It's just gotta be done, Star."

Starfire shook her head. It made sense now. Robin's temper being so short. His eagerness to hang out with them. And yet, he had no longer been getting up to train at five. Instead, he had resorted to training at six. This wasn't right, though, it was... unnecessary.

"But it is not healthy," she told him, kneeling down next to him.

"I can handle it... My mentor does. I can too," Robin answered, leaning his head against the bike.

Starfire had hit a road block and it was a tall one at that, "Robin... That does not mean that you have to. And, I mean no disrespect to your mentor, but he does not... venture into social meetings as often as you do. As Raven said, if this has been bothering you, then let us help you. Please, you need the rest."

Robin sighed, "Starfire... You don't know..."

Robin caught the look Starfire's eyes. What was he about to say? He was so tired he couldn't think straight. Or maybe he was thinking straighter. He couldn't tell what was up or down. He could only tell what felt right. She watched him for the minute of silence. He didn't move, but she could tell that he was thinking. About what? She didn't know. His unpredictability could baffle her sometimes. Slowly, Robin began to smile and with a small laugh, he looked back up at her.

"Huh?" she asked in confusion.

"Why are you always right?" he asked back.

Her sudden confusion melted and in its place came a warm smile. "So you will let us help you?"

Robin nodded. "With what you can, alright."

He was starting to think that he could never say 'no' to her. Starfire smiled, but she smiled trying to hide a hint of doubt. He had said this before. But he had barely ever come through. It was one of his faults. But it was one that she knew came from one of his perfections. The thing about talents is that they each have a curse and a gift. Should the gift out weigh the curse, we put up with it. If not, the talent is disposable. Robin's problem was that both the gift and the curse were so prominent, so equal in importance that there was no healthy way to rid him of the protectiveness inside of him. But he kept promising and that showed that he was trying. And he did come through sometimes. Not all the time, but still, he tried. And right now, that's what was important.

"Do you think that you are able to ride?" she asked.

"I think so. We better get back anyway. Jinx and Wally will be there in fifteen minutes," Robin told her, looking at the clock on his communicator.

Starfire glanced down and saw the clock read 2:50 PM, "But you said to meet at three."

"Yeah, well, Kid Flash is always five minutes late," he explained, "Trust me, its baffled me for years."

His strength regained, Robin hopped onto the bike and Starfire with him. She kept alert though, just in case he had a dizzy spell. But he didn't and they made it back at 3:02. Sure enough the other three were waiting upstairs for their late arrivals. Raven was tapping her foot while Cyborg whistled. Beast Boy was bored already.

"They'll be here in three minutes," Robin called and they all looked up at the two Titans.

"Why is he late?" Cyborg asked.

"That's just how he is, Cy," Robin answered.

"Did you get anything out of Mad Mod or Blackfire?" Raven asked.

"Mad Mod refused to talk and Blackfire just seemed to want attention," Robin told them.

"Isn't that what all girls want? Attention and world domination?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven and Starfire threw him death glares and he quickly added, "Kidding, guys, I mean, girls, I mean, never mind."

Robin shook his head and went up to the mainframe computer. "She wanted attention. But she seemed... annoyed. She was working for someone so that means that she might be under contract to not say some things..."

There was a whoosh of air and suddenly, Kid Flash was standing in the middle of the room, Jinx's windblown self in his arms looking thoroughly ticked.

"Hey Robin!" Kid Flash said immediately, "How's things been?"

"Alright, you're late," Robin stated.

"No I'm not. It's three oh four," Kid Flash told him.

"You were supposed to be here at three," Robin answered.

"Yeah, but I wasn't five minutes late. Come on, you know you were planning on it," Kid Flash replied.

Robin rolled his masked eyes as Jinx finally spoke, "Um, Flash, can you put me down?"

"Oh, sure," Kid Flash answered and, doing as she said, put her down.

"So why'd you call us here?" Kid Flash asked, "You know we were dealing with this big baddy in Central City and..."

"We need to speak to Jinx," Robin told them.

Jinx looked a little startled at first, but it was quickly replaced by hesitancy, "Why?"

The others watched Robin as he motioned her to come forward, "We need information. The Hive Five stole Hexane today which is used for making cooking oil. We're pretty sure it's connected to two previous robberies pulled off by Mad Mod, Cheshire, and Blackfire which means that they most likely were working for someone else. Other than Cheshire and Blackfire, the others don't seem like the type to all collaborate together."

Jinx looked down. She was still new to this hero thing. Kid Flash had brought her to Central City, offered her a lot, and taught her all of these new morals and ethics. But she couldn't deny, it was hard being the one who changed their ways. The threats she received from the opposing side were out of bitter feelings of betrayal. She didn't blame them. She couldn't blame them. But the hardest thing was that she was now, as Robin had put it, 'a source of information'.

"Look, I don't really feel... comfortable doing that," Jinx answered.

Raven stepped in, "Jinx, you can't just..."

"Don't tell me what to do, Witch!" Jinx yelled and the others backed off.

Yeah, she noticed. She noticed Wally's eyes, too. That push, that look. The one that said, 'It's alright if you don't want to, but, you know, it would help if you did'. How she hated how right he was.

Robin stepped in, "Jinx, I'm not asking you to do anything that you don't feel comfortable doing. I'm not asking you to betray your former teammates, your friends."

Jinx looked at him in surprise. He had said that they were still her friends. He was right, "We've all been betrayed here and honestly, I know doing things against your friends hurt. But I promise, if you help us, we'll get them another day for something else. They're not really our target today anyway."

The girl with pink hair smiled, "I can see why you're our leader."

Robin shrugged, "So you'll help us?"

"Well, what do you want me to tell you?" she asked as she noticed Kid Flash walking up behind her.

"Two things. First, who would contract such random people?" Robin asked.

"You're kidding right?" Jinx asked, "Tons of people. I hate to say it, but that's the truth. Brother Blood might be one. I don't know who'd hire Mad Mod. Most of us hated him, anyway. Could be some aliens maybe, considering Blackfire's doing it. I'd say Slade might of hired them if he wasn't AWOL."

"Slade?" Robin asked as the others mouthed to her behind him _'NO! BAD IDEA!' _

Jinx got the message and quickly added, "Yeah, but Slade's been gone, hasn't shown his face, or I guess, mask to any of us. Besides, he hated dealing with the Hive. Thought we were useless because of Mammoth's puny brain and Gizmo's immaturity. Besides, I know the Hive did business with everyone. It could be the Joker or Lex Luthor for all we know."

Robin accepted this, only turning around to see the others all looking anywhere but at him, "Alright, well, if you can't tell us who it might be, maybe you can make sense of Blackfire's interrogation. I was telling the others, she might not have been allowed to tell us certain things, but that doesn't mean she couldn't give us hints."

"Wait, Robin," Beast Boy interrupted, "Why would she do that?"

"Maybe someone wasn't coming through on their end of the deal on time," Raven answered.

"That would make sense, considering she said something about 'errors' right before we left," Robin added.

"Just let me listen," Jinx told him and he handed her a pair of headphones.

It took a moment, but within a couple minutes, Jinx spoke, "Replay the last thirty seconds."

Robin did and unplugged the headphones allowing everyone to listen, _"Well, if I'm right, I should be at a party, but I'm not."_

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cyborg asked, "The girl's insane, no offense, Star."

"I do not take any," Starfire replied.

Jinx was quiet, as though contemplating as to whether or not she should go into this. Kid Flash noticed and nudged her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Dances. We'd have them twice a month," Jinx told them.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"There was this restaurant, dance, whatever you want to call it, place," Jinx started, "We'd have parties. The younger 'villains', so to speak were the ones who mostly went, but anyone, anyone bad enough to get in the paper to fight you guys or any member of the JLA basically could get in."

"Wait a minute, you mean to say that all of this time, there's been parties that we could have crashed and arrested all of the super villains in town?" Cyborg asked.

"Sort of," Jinx answered, "Only, I wouldn't recommend it. With everyone there, the odds would be against you."

Raven looked at her questioningly and asked, "Why did Blackfire care to tell us this?"

Jinx turned around to face Raven and answered, "She's mad, right? Mad at whoever employed her. She was leading you to the trail. If this person is hiring people, there's bound to be something there that..."

"... Knows who's hiring," Robin finished, "Jinx, how can we get in? Where is it?"

"Wait, a minute, I didn't..." Jinx started.

"I promise, we're not going to get the Hive Five," Robin told her, "We just want to get in and out in one piece and find out who's behind this."

He was motivated. Despite Jinx's remark, bringing up Slade had kicked him into gear.

"It's a place called 'Zenith's Fire'. The only way you're getting in there is if only one or two of you go. They never let anyone in five at a time, given how many are in the Titans," she explained.

"So basically, one of us has to dress up as though we're a bad guy and pretend to get down and dirty so that we can get into this stupid dance?" Raven asked.

The others looked at her and they didn't stop. Raven looked startled as the others began to smile at her.

"That's exactly what you're going to do," Robin answered.

"What? I didn't volunteer for this," Raven told him.

Robin wasn't listening, "No, but really. You should do it. Starfire can't pretend to be Blackfire since she's in jail and they all know it and guys asking around about this sort of thing just looks suspicious."

Jinx stepped forward and added, "Besides, I think with a little change in your wardrobe, you could pull off being a bad girl."

"I don't want to be a 'bad girl'," Raven said bluntly.

Robin intervened, "I think you're going to have to tonight."

"Why not Jinx?"

"Are you kidding me? That would be like giving her the death sentence considering all of the people that betrayed her are there," Kid Flash told her, "and we..."

"We've got plans," Jinx interrupted, not wanting to publicly announce their dinner date.

"I can't go in there alone," Raven stated, almost desperately.

"We can bug you," Cyborg told her.

"Hey, wait," Beast Boy added, "Why don't I go?"

The others all looked at him, silent. Robin didn't know what to say and that meant no one did. It was just uncomfortable, like there was this uneasy air that they were all breathing making them fidget, if only a little bit.

"Come on, guys. I won't blow her cover. We don't even have to go in together," Beast Boy added, "Besides, what happens if she needs back up, like her cover gets blown and it's not even her fault?"

The Titans all caught each others gaze. Raven stepped forward, "Beast Boy, I appreciate your concern, but really I can..."

"Look, I wouldn't mess up. I know you think that I would, but I won't, I promise," he told her.

Raven looked at him with a glare, but considered. He was being honest. There was no doubt in that. But the question of 'can he actually do this?' was another. That was it, though, right? He wanted to prove to them he could. Yet, there was something that she couldn't place. There was a level of eagerness that seemed out of place. She hoped that he wasn't going into a 'protective of everyone' stage as Robin always was in again, as he had been after Terra... It was up to her.

"Fine," Raven said, "he can come."

"How are we gonna manage that?" Cyborg asked.

"I've got make up, maybe he could pose as something," Robin answered.

Jinx added, "Maybe he could be the DJ. They always arrive early."

"Oh, and Raven, I can most certainly help you get ready for the party!" Starfire exclaimed, making Raven a tad bit more nervous.

Robin however, smiled. This could actually work. They could actually get some... where. Starfire looked at him. She was smiling at him. He was doing what he promised earlier and he hadn't even realized it. The Tamaranean knew this, but her gaze conveyed a meaning. _'Please, do not stop. It means a lot to everyone...to me. '_ They both understood it. He felt something creeping up on him. It was color coming to his face. She felt the same and they both quickly lost the eye contact that they had had for the short moment.

"Cyborg, do you think that you could get BB ready later? Pale skin, all of that?" Robin asked.

"Sure, you got that stuff?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, I always keep some," Robin answered, "Jinx, do you think if BB went in around seven and Raven went in around eight, we'd be alright?"

"Sure, but seriously, do all you can to avoid being caught. It won't be pretty if you are," Jinx warned him.

Raven sat down, bowing her head in total defeat, "This is so bad."

"I know, friend Raven," Starfire told her, "We are late!"

"Late?" Raven asked, glancing up at her, "Late for what?"

"We are behind the schedule. We must go to the mall of shopping and buy you some new clothes and redo your look to..."

"Okay, I get it. I get it, but do we have to do all of that?" Raven asked.

Robin answered for Starfire, "Yes, we can't risk you being recognized. Considering that BB will just need a color change, you're the one I'm more worried about in terms of if people will recognize you or not."

Raven looked like she was ready to kill him, "Fine, Star, let's go."

Starfire grabbed Raven's arm and the two flew out of the room. Kid Flash shuffled his feet slightly while the five remaining teens waited in silence. Jinx tapped her foot. She wanted to go.

"Well, Jinx, do you want to stick around or not...?" Kid Flash asked.

Jinx answered, "Yeah, you don't need me anymore, right, Robin?"

Robin shook his head, "No, thank you, Jinx. I know how hard things like that can be."

"No problem," she responded, "Come on, Flash. Let's go."

"Hey," Robin said, "Kid Flash, Jinx, it was good seeing you."

"Good seeing you too," Jinx said quietly, "Come on, twinkletoes."

"Why do you call me 'twinkletoes'? Robin doesn't call me 'twinkletoes'. Only Speedy ever calls me 'twinkletoes'," Kid Flash asked.

"Stop whining and let's go," Jinx told him.

"Alright," Kid Flash answered, picking her up and smiling at the others, despite Jinx's protests.

With another whoosh of air, the two Titans were gone and in Central City, an industrial, but innovative area. Kid Flash put Jinx down again, her hair a mess and her normal scowl back on her face.

"Where do you want to go to dinner?" Kid Flash asked.

"I'm thinking, I want you to cook me an elaborate dinner to make up for ruining my hair!" she yelled.

"How about we go to my Aunt Iris's and we have a homemade dinner there?" he inquired.

She rolled her eyes at him and answered, "you're such a dork!"

Back in Jump, the three boys looked at each other. They had at least two or three hours to kill. It was one of those times where there was this awkwardness, and it was because they had nothing to do, but wanted to do something.

Robin shrugged and stretched, "Well, I hope you guys don't mind, but I think I'm going to take a nap."

The other two boy's eyes bugged, "You? Take a nap? Why are you...?"

Beast Boy stopped and Cyborg finished, "You haven't been sleeping, have you?"

"Well, that's why I'm going to sleep now so I won't have to catch up while you and Raven go on a mission." He motioned to Beast Boy, "So, wake me up in two hours. BB, I'll leave the skin dye outside my room. Put it on half and hour before you wake me up so it will be dry."

"Alright, alright," Beast Boy told him, "go take your nap."

Robin smiled and left the two, sure that they would go for the...

"Gamestation?"

"You know it!" he heard Cyborg yell.

Robin felt his eyes sagging. He barely managed to get to his bed, his feet didn't want to move. It was that feeling where if you're really tired and you're about to sleep, you just get even more tired. He closed his eyes and felt himself drift off into his mind's own realm.

The realm caught him up in the air. He was above and below everything. Flying. That's what he was doing. The sun shown. Everything was bright. Everything was right. But a sudden cold swept him up. He shivered and felt himself falling down slowly. He hit the street, the ground, and the cold air just got heavier. He knelt down. He could barely lift his head.

_"Do you really think that things will get better so easily, Robin?"_

Robin shook his head. Not in response. But in disbelief, with a heavy heart, he shook his head. Every time. Every time he felt like he was in the clear, bad memories, they just reached from their graves to grab his ankles and pull him back under with them. And Slade, he embodied every one of those decrepit dead hands that wanted to bring him down. Jinx said Slade probably wasn't behind this, but it didn't matter. Slade was still in this nightmare.

He looked up to see Slade's mask. He saw the bright sky turn dark and felt the guilt, the weakness, the helplessness, the worthlessness that scared him so much. He could swear that the man was smiling. Robin knew this was a dream. He wanted to ignore it. He had to sleep and that meant that nightmares couldn't get in the way. He willed himself to pick himself up again. He willed himself to keep his promise to Star and get his rest. Slowly, Robin forced himself to stand.

He looked around. The sky was gray, but not without sunlight. There was no one around him. But somehow, that was better than Slade being there. The street was quiet and only loose papers blew in the wind. He didn't care. He walked over to a building and sat down against the wall. Starfire was right. He must need his rest if even his dreams made him tired. Robin heard laughter. He kept his eyes closed, but he listened. People, people that he knew. They were laughing and he could just hear the smiles on their faces. It meant the world to him. It meant everything to him.

And he never wanted to lose it again.

-T-

**A/N:** So how was it? Please review! I want to hear what you think! I know there's been a ton of talking in the last couple chapters, but now we're getting to the exciting part. I've been waiting a while to write this next chapter and I think you'll all enjoy it. We'll be taking a dive into the criminal underworld, I'll tell you that much. Thanks again for reading and chapter eight is on it's way! Later!

Rena


	8. Chapter 8: Down and Dirty

**Disclaimer:** Oh no! They caught me! I'm a fake, I know. I don't own Teen Titans or the DCU or Lifehouse. If you didn't know that by now, then you really must skip the disclaimers half the time, huh?

**Important:** If you have Anonymously reviewed or PMed me or replied to me in any way that could be considered a review that I haven't responded in some manner or way to for Parts One or Two of this story, as of 12/14/07 my review replies for those will be on my putfile website for the next month.

**Author's Note:** Well, I must say, this is a fun little chapter, isn't it? By 'little', I mean, it's a little longer than normal. But it's entirely worth it in my opinion. I've been pushing to get this out, so it's not entirely edited. I hope to get the entirely edited version up tomorrow. So forgive me if it's not up to standard. There is another thing that I wanted to mention that I have yet to clarify. It's the matter of the Raven-Beast Boy-Terra love triangle in this story. I'm trying to hint at the fact that BB and Rae might in the future get together, but still with respect to Terra's memory (They get together in the comics, there's my evidence). I hope that people are alright with that. That's how it's been this entire time actually. I don't think it will go farther than that, but I just wanted to put that out there though. But that brings me to my next topic: If you have time, could you, as a reader of this story, take a poll on my website about that pairing? It would be greatly appreciated. Anyways, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Readers: "Chapter Eight: Down and Dirty"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Eight: Down and Dirty**

Robin woke up to sounds outside his bedroom. More specifically, he woke up to Beast Boy's remarks about the skin coloring. He cracked his neck and stretched for a moment. Sighing, he got up and went to the door where it sounded like there was a Wrestle-Mania match going on outside.

"Come on, BB, you gotta use...!" Cyborg started, but Robin opened the door interrupting them, "Uh, hey Rob."

Robin folded his arms, a smile on his face, "Cyborg, that's horrible. How could you possibly do such a thing to BB?"

Beast Boy stood up, thoroughly happy that Robin was taking his side. That ended with Robin's next sentence, "That's not how you make him put it on. You remind him that it's his civic duty to do so, that chicks will find it extremely hott, and that we'll all kill him if he doesn't."

"What?" Beast Boy yelled, "First off, the ladies already think that I'm perfection. Second off, you didn't tell me that that stuff was a goopy mess!"

"Too bad," Robin answered, "You volunteered for this after all."

Beast Boy sighed, "I hate you guys."

"Come on, B," Cyborg told him, "It won't be that bad."

Whether or not Cyborg's idea of 'Not that bad' was correct or not depended on your point of view. For Robin and Cyborg, it was not that bad at all. In fact, it was hysterical. For Beast Boy, it was... well, let's just say he had to keep reminding himself why he was doing this. The job of turning Beast Boy into a bad to the bone DJ was an entertaining one. First, they had the fun job of throwing the slabs of pale color onto BB. They needed a lot of it too. Beast Boy literally could feel the sticky goop for at least a half hour.

Second, they had to find him the right clothes. They somehow managed to find a pair of tight pants, a button up T-shirt (they ripped it and scoffed it up a bit), and a vest (which they threw dirt on before hand). Robin found a dirty-brown wig in his supply of disguises. Unfortunately they couldn't convince BB to wear the fake earring, but considering the fact that by the end of it Beast Boy looked like a scruffy kid with an attitude, they thought that they did a pretty good job.

"Dudes, these pants are riding up! Why couldn't I just wear my regular pants?" Beast Boy complained.

"Because these actually make you look bad," Robin answered.

"Yeah man, stop whining about it," Cyborg told him.

"I wonder when the girls are going to be back. They've been gone for hours..." Beast Boy started, but he stopped.

The others turned around to see what he was starring at. Starfire and Raven had just entered the room. And Raven, she looked really different. Not a girly-girl. Not a Tom-Boy. Dangerous, bad, and 'whoa' was one of the silent words on all of the boys' tongues. Her hair was streaked with red and black and was up in a spiked bun. She was wearing black and silver boots up to her knees while her T-Shirt had images of demons and flames. Her skirt was a bit tight and looked like something out of Blackfire's closet. In fact, that's probably where they got it. Her belt wrapped around her waist several times and was covered in spikes. Raven's make up in itself, looked Gothic and yet, that wasn't what scared the boys.

It was the fact that she was fuming.

"Raven, you," Robin started, but stopped when she glared at him, "You ready?"

"Starfire, what did you do to her?" Cyborg asked, getting quickly to the point.

"I honestly do not know. Is it not 'bad' enough, Cyborg?" Starfire asked.

Beast Boy answered, "I'd say so."

Raven, though she had seen him before, finally acknowledged Beast Boy's presence, "They did this to you too?"

"Worse part's the skin coloring and the clay," Beast Boy said, scratching one of his now round ears.

"Yeah, well, let's just get this over with, alright?" Raven told them, walking past them and over to the monitors.

"Sure, should Cy and I go over to that Xenon place?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's 'Zenith's Fire' and yeah, go," Robin told the two, "Pay the hired DJ twice what they were going to pay him and if he has his own equipment, pay him double for it too."

"What?" Cyborg asked, "Why? We can't pay for that."

"Yes you can, here," Robin answered, giving Cyborg a pack of hundreds.

Cyborg looked at Robin, at the bills, and back at Robin again obviously stunned, "Since when do you carry around a pack of hundreds?"

"I don't," Robin answered, "I carry a credit card. But since we're not actually going to give our DJ a credit card, I think we'll have to resort to plain old cash."

"Yeah, but just how stocked up are you?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm not," Robin answered, "My mentor however, is."

That closed the conversation. They all knew that. Robin hardly ever spoke of the Dark Knight. Revered everywhere, his mentor's reputation preceded him. Jump though, was one place where Robin didn't follow behind 'Batman and...' or was with any 'Batman' at all and all of the Titans knew that Robin wanted to keep it this way, for reasons unknown to them of course.

"Now go, or the DJ will get there before you," Robin told the two, "Beast Boy, take an ear com-link too."

After BB put the little thing in his ears, the two boys ran down, leaving the other three Titans in their wake. Deciding to take the T-Car, the two hoped in and raced down to a more decrepit old part of Jump, mostly the old industrial center of the town. They got out about five blocks away from Zenith's Fire while Cyborg put the T-Car on autopilot. Rick didn't know what hit him when the two found him and stopped him in the middle of his way to his next gig.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Rick said, "I was just going to DJ a dance!"

"We know," Beast Boy sighed, "Any chance we could take over for you?"

"No way! I need the..." Rick started when Cyborg interrupted.

"How much are they paying you? We'll pay you double."

That got Rick's attention. Lying a little bit, Rick took about two thousand by the time they were done with him plus another hundred to keep quiet about it. Somehow, it didn't surprise them. As Rick ran off, Cyborg noticed the guy's outfit.

"See, he wears three earrings," Cyborg hissed.

"I'm not gonna look like a girl, Cy," Beast Boy answered back.

"So what's your name now?" Cyborg asked after rolling his eyes.

"Um, I don't know, how 'bout Greg?" Beast Boy asked back.

"Sounds good to me, _Greg_," Cyborg said smiling, "Now tell me, Greg, do you know how to work a DJ system?"

"Dude, are you seriously asking me that?" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"Well can you?"

Silence.

"It doesn't look that hard."

Cyborg slapped his head, "Let's hope so."

They walked until they saw a blinking red neon sign that only had a arrow pointing down a set of stairs. Cyborg stopped, knowing that if he went closer, Robin would murder him for it. Pounding fists, the two Titans faced each other. It was almost an act of proving they were men and hiding the worried feelings they both were having about this mission.

"Break a leg, B," Cyborg told him.

Beast Boy barely moved forward, but he did. Creepy. That's what this place was. Why would anyone want to go down here? The place smelled bad, of sweat and smoker's cigarettes. And with his heightened sense of smell, Beast Boy could swear that something smelled dead around here. It was one of the few times that he was not okay with being alone. As he walked down the steps, he could feel the rotting substances underneath his shoes sticking to their souls. It was disgusting, but he tried to ignore it. If he blew this...

He got down to the door and knocked. At first he thought that no one had heard him, but then someone opened the door an inch. He was tall and plump, fowl smelling, and Beast Boy recognized that he was the thing that smelled like it had died. The man's lips were cracked and his teeth were mostly gold fillings.

"You the DJ?"

"Uh, yeah, name's Greg," Beast Boy answered.

"I called for Rick," The man told him.

"Uh, the dude got sick, so he asked me to cover for him," Beast Boy offered.

"He explained it to you?"

"What?"

"He explained to you the specifics?"

"Uh, you mean I can't tell the cops about tonight?" Beast Boy asked.

The man shrugged, "Close enough. Are you up for it?"

Beast Boy laughed, "No problem, man. Now are you going to let me in so I can, you know, get my groove on?"

The man looked at Beast Boy oddly, but shrugged and let Beast Boy in. The place was empty, but there were plenty of wooden tables scattered across the floor, with old chairs by them. Some of them looked like they had been tore apart and put back together again roughly. There was a center section with a stage up front where Beast Boy guessed he was supposed to set up. Across from him was something like a bar, but from what Beast Boy could tell, the man didn't have any of the normal alcoholic beverages that he had expected from such a place.

The man got his gaze and told him, "Can't sell it here. I've had too much property damage by drunk super villains' hands. Name's Rudy by the way."

Beast Boy raised a brow at Rudy thinking that selling to minors would have been the first thing that he would have been worried about. Property damage would be next. Rudy motioned for him to set up on the stage. To his relief, Beast Boy found an instruction manual in Rick's equipment and most of it was already set up for him there anyway. After about half an hour of trying different wires and asking Cyborg and Robin for help when they could, Beast Boy had managed to set everything up. Now the only thing that he had to do was press the on button.

Beast Boy pulled at his already loose collar, "Well, here goes nothing."

The red button was pressed. Lights flashed reds, purples, whites, oranges, and blues. Five disco balls dropped from the ceiling, scattering diamond shaped lights across the room. Music suddenly began to pump out of the laptop. Beast Boy looked around and a smile came to his face. He hadn't blown it. Rudy looked over at him and nodded in approval.

"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy yelled, "Who's the big bad DJ? I am! That's who! I'm bad! That's right!"

BB's victory dance was interrupted by a knock on the door and Robin's voice coming out of the com-link, "Beast Boy, why did you stop?"

"You want me to continue my dance?" Beast Boy asked, confused

"No!" Robin yelled, "What's going on?"

Beast Boy looked around to see Rudy going to the door and asking for the password, "People are coming in."

"What's the password?" Rudy asked.

"Scath."

"What'd he say?" Robin asked.

"Scath, the password's Scath," Beast Boy told him, "Didn't know Trigon was so popular."

"They probably rotate the password," Robin responded, "Pay attention."

Beast Boy nodded and watched as, to his dismay, several villains coming in ranging from Triton to Control Freak. The HIVE Five soon arrived with many of their fellow graduates. Kitten, Silver Swan, Mumbo, Atomic Skull, Malchior, Circe, Atlas, Toy Man, Punk Rocket, Black Mask, Katarou, Johnny Rancid, and many others that he couldn't name were there. Some of them began to sit in corner discussing anything from how they would one day take over the world to last night's episode of Gossip Girl. It was one of the weirdest spectacles that Beast Boy had ever witnessed. He didn't see Raven though, not yet anyway, and the others were quiet on the Com-Link, not wanting to risk blowing their cover.

Surprisingly, Beast Boy found being a DJ easy, but he blamed it on luck. People actually danced, mostly teens, but maybe that was a good thing. Beast Boy thought he'd puke at the site of Control Freak's dancing. He saw some people roughing around on occasion, but they normally settled it. The only real disturbance was when Kitten threw a fit and Killer Moth had to drag her out for a talk. Beast Boy himself though, was having a bit of fun. He liked the music, the loud noises, the feeling of it all. About an hour or so in, Rudy went to the door again.

"Password?"

"Scath."

Rudy let in the new arrival and when Beast Boy looked up, he saw Raven coming in, eight o'clock, right on time. She wasn't smiling, just looking around. They made eye contact and she nodded at him. He went back to DJing, but kept a careful eye on her. It was a different site. One you didn't see everyday, but in a good way... if you could call it that. It was nice to see her out of her dark corner. Not that this place was much brighter, but still, this was probably good for her, to get out, even a little bit.

Raven looked around, trying to find a group that maybe she could invite herself into. _'Great idea, Robin, sure. Send the most unsocial of all of us on this mission,'_ She thought to herself. She came up to a group including: Angel, Kitten, Fang, Adonis, and Johnny Rancid. She didn't go right up to them at first, but instead, ordered a drink from Rudy and sat alone at the bar.

"So my Daddy said that I could get two limos for the dance tonight," Kitten went on, "But he wouldn't let me have them both be pink! Can you believe him?"

"Yes," Adonis answered.

"You're so spoiled, you know that?" Angel told her.

"You're just jealous 'cause I'm the prettiest girl here," Kitten replied, "Isn't that right, Fang?"

Fang shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. Raven was sympathetic and gave him a smile. That caught his attention.

"Hey, new girl, what's your name?" He asked.

Raven panicked for a moment. No name. What name could she possibly use?

"Pain's Adanna, use 'Pain's Adanna'," Robin whispered in her ear through the Com-link thinking quickly.

"Uh, Pain's Adanna," Raven answered, "Uh, Adanna, for short."

Adonis had turned now too and asked, "Want to join us, Adanna?"

"Sure," She answered.

"So what's your thing?" Kitten asked.

"I, um, I create nightmares," Raven answered.

"Nightmares? Ha, what a lame power," Kitten replied back.

Raven glared, "They can be really scary though. Especially when they have your face in it."

The others all laughed, including Fang, who was personally thinking it was time to break up with her again. Raven inwardly sighed a breath of relief when the others excepted her charade.

"So where are you from? Haven't seen you around here," Angel asked.

"Uh, ways away, Steel, Steel City," Raven answered, pointing behind her.

"So that's why you don't know how things work around here," Kitten stated, "I'll inform you. My town. My rules!"

The others sighed and shook their heads, save for Johnny who told Raven, "Just ignore her. She thinks that since Blackfire's in jail she can top her as the most dangerous 'villainess' around here."

"I do not!"

"It's cool," Raven answered.

She glanced around at Beast Boy who was still DJing. Beast Boy eyed her, reminding her to keep them talking. She turned to see them in conversation, mocking Control Freak.

"It's so pathetic, you know?" Adonis added his say.

"So who isn't?" Raven asked.

The others turned to look at her as Johnny told her, almost sarcastically, "Well, most of the Hive aren't _too_ pathetic. No offense, Angel."

"None taken," She answered.

"I'm not talking the HIVE," Raven inserted, "I mean, big, bad and ugly. Like who runs this place?"

"Rudy runs it," Kitten answered, "What are you talking about?"

"To really answer your question," Fang started, "Let's just say I'd be surprised if any of them were actually here. Too stuck up, except for a few."

"Yeah, man," Adonis added, "Hey have you seen...?"

There was a loud bang by the front door, where Rudy was tossed back. Emerging from the dark staircase was another costumed character. Young, that was assumed, and probably who Adonis was just asking about.

Red X.

His tattered cape billowed behind him and the X's on his suit gleamed. You could tell by his eyes that he was smiling, glad to be the center of attention here. Raven and Beast Boy both watched him walk in. Beast Boy was brought back to circumstances when the song ended and he had to pick out a new one from a new playlist.

Raven turned back when Adonis added, "Never mind."

She sneaked a glance at Red X. She was surprised. Red X seemed like a bit of a loner. And with all that he had done to help the Titans, she didn't understand why he was here and not being killed at the moment. Then again, by the way he slammed the door down, it seemed like no one really wanted to bother with him anyway. He wasn't going to turn them all in after all. She turned back at Kitten's remark.

"Isn't he hott?" Kitten asked, clasping her hands together.

"Hey, I'm your boyfriend!" Fang yelled.

"Shut up, Fang!" Kitten screamed back.

"Yes, Ma'am," Fang answered. Yeah, it was about time to break up.

"Aw, come on, Kitten, not like he's gonna actually want to date you," Angel told her.

"Ha! It would be a miracle if she and Fang stayed together for the rest of the night!" Johnny exclaimed, jokingly in a pompous manner.

"Oh! He's coming over here! He's coming over here! How do I look?" Kitten exclaimed.

"Like Fang's girlfriend," Adonis answered.

"Hey," Raven jumped and turned to find Red X behind her.

"You're new," He said, his voice smooth and rough at the same time.

"I'm Pain's Adanna, or Adanna, from Steel," Raven told him.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" He asked.

"Thought I'd take a vacation?" Raven answered, in question.

"Cool, want to dance?" He asked.

Raven's eyes enlarged and it wasn't until Robin nearly shouted in her ear, "Say 'yes'! Raven, say 'yes'!"

"Uh, sure," Raven answered, getting up and taking Red X's hand out to the dance floor.

Kitten fumed at the table, "Can't believe Andy would do that."

"Kitten," Angel said.

"What?"

"First off, her name is Adanna and second, shut it, before I make it necessary for you to get plastic surgery," the HIVE graduate told her.

Kitten kept her mouth shut for a while after that. Not that that really helped Raven at all. She sneaked a glance at Beast Boy who had seen the two crossing the dance floor and had just put on Lifehouse's "First Time", now an obviously unsure look on his face. Raven apparently didn't like that though. She didn't know where anyone was in their own little minds, thinking she enjoyed this or was in some kind of constant fatal danger. In reality, she hated this and she hated people forgetting who she was and what she could do. The two got onto the dance floor, but didn't move for a moment.

"You know how to dance?" Red X asked.

"Yes, do you?" She asked back, seeing as he wasn't dancing either.

"Point taken," Red X remarked.

He started and Raven watched. No, she didn't often dance. So she didn't exactly know how to dance. Red X, to her surprise though, wasn't that bad at dancing. Far from being Control Freak, he didn't dance in a ridiculous manner, but he had a sense of rhythm. And that sense of rhythm, plus his own abilities as fighting expert, gave him a smooth and cool dance method. And she had a feeling that he knew how to dance and still look good while doing it.

"You don't know how to dance," He said.

"Yes I do," Raven answered, recognizing that she hadn't been dancing.

"Just listen, find the rhythm, the beat in the song," Red X told her, stopping, and starting slowly for her to see how he found it.

She tapped her foot and shook her head, "This was a bad idea."

Red X looked at her closely and responded, "Just, you know, find the center, the feeling. You can do that right?"

Raven's eyes opened wide for a brief second, but she nodded. Center, feeling. That was just coincidence, right? Didn't matter, she had to dance before he started thinking something was really wrong with her. Raven nodded her head and started to move her body when she heard the down beat. Red X's mask concealed his face, but through his eyes, she guessed that he 'approved' or something along those lines.

"You look tense," He told her.

"Do I?" She asked.

"Loosen up, it's easier," Red X said.

Raven rolled her eyes and as she attempting to follow his instructions answered, "Easy for you to say. Remember I create nightmares?"

"You're no nightmare," He answered.

_'Oh please don't be hitting on me,'_ Raven thought. However, she couldn't have been farther from the truth. She slowly began to get the hang of it. Beast Boy watched, Red X warning signs going off in his head. If there was ever one more sneaky and sly than him it would have to be Robin or Terra... _'Don't think about her right now.'_ At least no one like Brother Blood or Slade was here. Now _that_ would be bad. Raven continued dancing, talking when she could, but considering that she was having a hard enough time just keeping her dancing from looking weird, talking took to the backseat.

Beast Boy's attention was entirely focused on Raven and Red X until the music changed on the playlist to a slow mellow song. That equaled a slow dance. Beast Boy ran over to the lap top and debated. Was this a good or bad time for a slow dance? But he hesitated, so by all means, it had to be a good time because if he changed it, he was sure he'd get a black eye.

Raven glanced up with a glare and Beast Boy hid behind the tables. Red X held out a hand to her and she reluctantly took it. Out of harms way again, Beast Boy peaked above and saw Rudy looking at him confused. Smiling and laughing awkwardly, Beast Boy stood up and began to do his job again. Holding a headphone up to the ear without the Com-link in it, he listened to the music trying to keep a cool head. Raven was doing a better job at it than he was. Except for a couple things here and there, she was really quite good at this.

"So, Adanna," Red X started, "How do like Jump?"

"Same as anything else, I guess," Raven answered.

"I like your name," He told her.

"Thanks," She answered without emotion, "You know, I've heard things about you."

"Really?" He answered, amused, "And what have you heard?"

"You're on top of things, got an eye and an ear open all the time," Raven answered.

Red X looked down to the side, "Well, you gotta around here. I just tend to do a better job than most people."

"I'll bet, you stole that suit, didn't you?" She asked.

"And I openly admit it," Red X told her, bragging.

"How'd you learn to use it?"

"I know some people. Besides, the fact that Xenothium powered it was a given once I got the suit," He told her.

But his movement slowed to a halt for a second as he looked at her. Then he continued.

"And what about you?" He asked, "How did such a hott chick like you get such a power?"

"Born with it."

"What about the name?"

"Huh?"

It was Raven's turn to pause. This made her nervous. Beast Boy froze too, seeing what Raven was doing.

"Pain's Adanna? How did you end up choosing that?" Red X asked again.

"I..."

"It doesn't suit you," Red X told her and they continued to dance.

Raven's heart beat slowed a bit. Nothing dangerous yet, right?

"Then what do you think works?" She inquired.

"Nightmares, nightmares... How about? Shadow's Sleeve, or Dream's Enemy, or..." He leaned in and whispered, "Trigon's Daughter?"

Raven's eyes widened and she moved to back away, but he grabbed her arm and quickly told her, "Calm down, I'm not going to do anything."

Raven looked at him and then at Beast Boy. Red X glanced up, "Oh, this is too good."

"Let go," It wasn't a request, it was a warning.

"Chill out, _Adanna._ I'm guessing for the sake of you and our DJ friend, _Greg_, you should hear me out," Red X told her; Raven didn't even bother trying to figure out how he knew Beast Boy's code name.

"What do you want?" She asked, angrily.

"I want to know why you're here," He told her.

Raven sighed and heard in her ear Robin tell her, "Just tell him, Raven, we'll be there in five minutes to stake out the site just in case."

"Have you heard anything?" She asked.

"I've heard a lot of things. What are you looking for in particular?" He asked.

Raven looked around, realizing that this wasn't the best place to talk and pulled him off to the side near where Beast Boy was DJing away from the speakers, "You know all of those robberies lately?"

"Like Blackfire and Cheshire?" He asked.

"Yeah," She answered, "Mad Mod and the HIVE Five were also part of it. We doesn't think that it was coincidence. He thinks someone's hiring these people and doesn't particular care if these robberies are discovered, but it seems preferred if they are not. Have you heard anything?"

Red X looked across the dance floor and around, as though trying to make sure no one saw them, "I've heard some things, from Blackfire. She said that she wanted help to do this job. I said no because it was so stupid and risky. But she didn't care because she knew she'd get to fight Starfire, which, as you can probably imagine better than I can, was going to be for payback. So she went off and got Cheshire to do it instead."

"Why did she want to in the first place?" Raven questioned.

"Other than taking a shot at beating Starfire to a pulp?" Red X asked.

Raven's eyes flashed black and suddenly Red X found his throat constricting, "Answer the question."

She released him and he rubbed his neck, "Alright, sorry, didn't know you had a temper."

"I don't."

Red X raised a brow and continued anyway, "Someone was paying her. Promised an 'early bail' if she got caught. I'm guessing they were the same people who hired the others out too."

"Do you have any other information?" Raven asked.

Red X thought for a moment and answered, "These people, whoever they are, they're not kidding around. They had contracts and everything, like a Black Market, but not. It didn't seem like there were a lot of people behind it. Blackfire said she'd make bail soon, like really soon, but she hasn't. And I haven't heard anything to suggest that she would. That can only mean that..."

"She messed up," Raven filled in remembering Blackfire's comment about everything being ruined over something small.

"Exactly. They mean business. They're smart. But I don't think they're operating around here. Another city..." Red X told her.

"Which city?"

Off in the corner, Kitten was fuming. She glared at Red X and Amanda in envy. She could just imagine. They were going steady now. He had actually revealed his face to her. HER! The girl from Steel! What a loser. The mask must make him blind. Now they were probably kissing and planning on running away from here to move to Metropolis or some other gold mine. Well that was that. She'd had enough of it.

"Um, I've got to use the bathroom," She told the others, but no one really paid her any attention.

Kitten walked over, looking around for someone big, ugly, and stupid. She found her match in Plasmus. Time to put on a show.

"Oh my! I can't believe what he did to me!" She cried out, bringing on the fake tears.

Plasmus turned and looked at her, glurbbering out some nonsense that somehow, everyone can understand.

"He, he, he left me for that new girl, Alexandra!" Kitten cried, the tears fake as ever, but real to the oaf in front of her.

Plasmus once again glubbed out a question and Kitten answered, "Him! Red X! Oh he's so cruel to me!"

Plasmus's eyes raised slightly and he looked at her in question. Kitten's fake tears stopped and she yelled, "Fang and I are taking a break! I still can not believe him. The nerve! I'd kiss whoever gave him what he deserved."

Plasmus thought for a moment. He didn't want Kitten to kiss him, but maybe she wouldn't think him as much as an oaf anymore. Picking up a table and chair, Plasmus made his way over to the corner where Raven and Red X were.

"I don't remember," Red X told her. Plasmus got closer.

"Think!" She replied.

"What I am getting out of this?" Red X suddenly asked. Another step.

Raven glared at him, "You don't get to meet Trigon."

One more inch. Red X fumed for a moment and then his eyes began to widen, "They were operating out of..."

Plasmus came close enough. Beast Boy caught sight of Plasmus and yelled, "Adanna!"

He threw the tables and Raven instinctively threw up her hand, catching the table and chair in a telepathic grip. Everyone looked over. Kitten's glee was inexpressible. Everyone saw. Rudy looked over at Beast Boy. Everyone was silent. A Teen Titan. Two Teen Titans. It was Red X who was the first to react.

"Run!"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven yelled.

It was a disaster. Beast Boy transformed into a lion and began to swipe at anyone. Red X leaped away from the two Titans. His information, gone. Several of the brutes had gone first, but that had been easy. Now they had to deal with the hard stuff. The people who actually knew what they were doing. And all the while, someone was watching what would be the end of Zenith's Fire.

"Beast Boy, we have to get to the door!" Raven yelled after him.

After transforming back from a T-Rex, Beast Boy answered, "Ya think?"

Outside, Robin heard the fight break out. Starfire looked at him as Cyborg asked, "What's going on?"

"They got caught," Robin told him.

"Then let's go in there and kick some butt!" Cyborg yelled.

"No! Wait, the door, break down the door! Don't go in!" Robin ordered, "Starfire, I want you to search from the sky. We've still got questions for X. Cyborg, you and I will lure some of them outside. Titans, Go!"

And so the battle began. Raven was pushing her way forward when she saw masses of villains exiting. Beast Boy was flying above, trying to get rid of those firing on the rafters. Finally he fell to the ground and slithered as snake to the bar, for a safe haven. He took a breath, but felt someone cover his mouth.

"It's Gotham. They're operating out of Gotham," Red X's voice came.

He let go and was gone. Beast Boy's first thought was _'What is that guy's problem?' _But he was brought back to the here and now when Raven was tossed back into the glass case in front of him.

"Raven, are you..."

She grabbed his wrist and closed her eyes. He felt a weird sensation and everything went black. Then he was outside in an ally way. Raven's eyes fluttered and shut as she reached up for her head. Beast Boy could still hear commotion near by and he hoped that wherever Raven had sent them, they were in no way going to be found. Then he heard a crackle. Scrunching up his face, he turned around to see Overload standing behind him. Then, by some miracle, he heard a barrage of starbolts being fired. Looking above him, he saw Starfire flying above them and hitting Overload with all of her fire power. Soon Overload got tired of it and retreated.

Starfire landed beside the two Titans and said, "Are you both unharmed?"

Beast Boy stood up, slinging Raven's arm over his shoulder to help her stand, "Raven's not. Can you?"

Starfire nodded and took over. Robin and Cyborg came around the corner, Robin on the R-Cycle and Cyborg in the T-Car. Starfire brought Raven over to the car and Beast Boy went inside the car as well. The noises got louder. It took mere moments though for the Titans to get miles away from Zenith's Fire and they soon skidded to a halt inside Titans Tower. Robin barely remember to take off his helmet as he ran up to the control room. With an outbreak like that...

He checked the city scanner. Clear. Finally, Robin was able to breath a sigh of relief. They must have scattered silently to keep themselves from being caught. The others came in, Cyborg carrying Raven, who was still too weak to walk. Starfire flew in with Beast Boy moments later.

"Is everything alright? We didn't leave a mess, did we?" Cyborg asked.

"No, thankfully, but I have a feeling that we won't have a chance at going back," Robin said with a sigh.

They were all quiet for a moment as Robin rubbed his head with a sigh. Beast Boy was the first to break up the silence, "Robin?"

Robin looked over at him, ready with his answer, but it was Beast Boy who spoke first, "Red X, he ambushed me in the middle of the fight. He said that, he said that whoever was hiring people, they're operating out of Gotham."

Everyone's brows raised except for Robin, who instead, had on his mask. And his mask didn't show emotion this time. But underneath, Robin felt a knot creating itself in his stomach. On the other hand, he also was starting to take in this information on a tactical hand.

"Gotham..." He whispered.

Turning back to the computer, he pulled up on the large screen above the objects stolen. Clicking on the chemicals, the information appeared revealing that the stolen chemical was called Hexane.

"Oh man. Guys listen, Gotham's been suffering from a serial killer on the loose," He told his friends, who, save for Raven, had been unaware of news on the East Coast since none of them read the Daily Planet.

Still, none of them knew quite understood what Robin was getting at, "This killer has had a... fixation with using fire, along with other things."

"Fire?" Cyborg asked, "What are you getting at?"

Robin typed on the computer and enlarged the newly found information to reveal on an atomic level, the chemical that was stolen, "I was too wrapped up in this infiltration tonight to think twice about the chemicals they actually stole. It's called 'Hexane' and it's main use is to create cooking oil from vegetables and seeds. But it has another use. It's flash point is..."

"Negative twenty three point three degrees Celsius or seven degrees Fahrenheit," Starfire finished, her eyes suddenly wide in the same realization that Robin had just made.

"Exactly, making it extremely flammable," Robin concluded.

"Oh man, you mean that it's that some arsonist murderer out in Gotham is the one who's been hiring all of these people to steal stuff for him?" Cyborg asked.

"It makes sense though," Raven interrupted, "Think about it. If you can just order your supplies and ship them under false names, then there's less evidence to pin down a suspect."

"Dude, I don't think that helps figuring out who our bad guy is," Beast Boy said, in a surprisingly gloomy matter.

The five were quiet until Robin spoke up, "Maybe not, but it gives us a lead."

"What lead?" Cyborg asked, "It's not like Red X gave us a name."

"He didn't need to. We know their style. We know where they're located," Robin said.

"So what?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah, Gotham 's way over there and we're right here," Cyborg said his hand motions going everywhere at once, "And what happens if they start 'ordering' a lot of stuff. They could get it from anywhere and it's still Gotham 's problem. This guy, whoever he is, is insane."

Robin put a hand up to his head and didn't respond. He knew what this revelation meant. He knew what they would have to do. What he had to do. He knew what he didn't want them to do. The others all had some idea as to what Robin was thinking about. And they all felt awkward about it, knowing that Robin in no way really liked Gotham . So when Robin finally stood up and turned his back to them to face the screen and give them orders, they were all ready, but still off guard for his instructions.

"I'm going to Gotham ," He said.

Starfire was the first to go up to him immediately and tell him, "Robin, why do we not all go? You do not have to go alone."

He turned to her and then back to the others when Beast Boy added, "Yeah, man, we're up for it."

"I'm not though," Robin told them.

It was true. Robin didn't want his team coming there. Not now. The timing just wasn't right. _He'd_ see all of their faults. _He'd_ remark how they weren't like the JLA or the JSA or how they were just a bunch of kids or how they argued. _He'd_ see the kind of imperfect job that he was doing as a leader.

Come to think of it, he didn't want to go there anyway himself. Up for evaluation again. It would be an outright confrontation to something that he felt that he could never live up too. And he could already hear the corrections on how to do this or how to do that. He could feel the humiliated blush already threatening to come to his cheeks. And worse yet, the knot in his stomach was growing, dread, worry, a nervous butterfly. But he wasn't about to tell his friends that.

"You need to stay here. Like Cyborg said, Jump still needs protection," Robin told them, "And I know Gotham , inside and out. I can go in and get out faster than any of us. If you go with me, it will only slow us down. I'll go call and say that I'm coming and then I'll call the police department about Zenith's so we can shut it down before I go. It'll be a piece of cake. Alright?"

None of them seemed reassured, but this really wasn't open for discussion, "Cyborg, you're in charge, alright?"

"No man, come on, let's just all go," Cyborg said.

"Guys," Robin sighed and continued, "I'm not arguing about this. I promise, it'll just be a quick visit like a couple weeks ago, okay?"

They all looked at their shoes and muttered, "Sure, yeah, alright."

"I'm leaving tomorrow," The Titan told his teammates, "The sooner I get going, the sooner it gets done."

They all looked up sadly as Robin walked up the stairs and left the room. Glancing at each other, the Titans all knew that they really didn't know what they wanted to do or could say. Robin's word was almost always final. And this time was one of those times. Then there was that feeling where they all wanted to say something, but wouldn't. Starfire was the first to not put up with it.

"He can not go," Starfire stated, "He does not want to. Surely friends that you see this?"

"What can we do, Star?" Raven asked, in a gloomy tone as always, but even more so after the disaster at Zenith's.

Starfire's shoulders scrunched up while her nose wrinkled up and she flew off in the direction that Robin had headed. She flew down the corridors. It was deserted, not that she expected otherwise. Then, she heard Robin talking, most likely on the phone to someone.

"Thanks Alfred, I appreciate it, considering that it's such short notice... No don't bother telling him. He'll probably figure it out anyway... Alright, fine... Thanks again... Bye," He ended.

She knocked on his door and then heard him walk over. Upon seeing her, Robin gave a half-hearted smile, stepped aside and let her come in, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, Star?" He asked, "Are you alright?"

Starfire held her arm, like it had been hurt, but only because she could think of nothing else to do with herself. How could she possibly argue with him? Now that she was here, it was hard to think logically. She wanted to, but at the same time, she knew that he would win. But this just worried her, made her concerned.

"Robin, I..." She started, finally looking at him, "I do not want you to go."

Robin looked off to the side and then back at her, "Star, you know that I have to..."

"I know that. It does not mean that I must like it," She answered.

Robin walked forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's not like I'm going to be gone forever. Just a week or two. Maybe less."

"But maybe more," Starfire added, knowing as well as he did that he had no answer for how long his stay would be, "And you do not like Gotham . You barely ever talk about it. And the look on your face when it is brought up... I do not know why, but I know that you do not want to go."

"That's 'cause I'd rather be here with you guys, but Starfire…" He looked her in the eye, "I promise, I'll be okay."

She looked back up at him, "You promise?"

"Yeah," He answered, "I promise."

He pulled her in close for a warm hug and she could smell the gel in his hair and the cologne he was wearing. On the flip side, he could smell the jasmine shampoo that she had used that morning and the sweet smell of raspberries and coconuts that made up her lotion. As she stood there, Starfire could feel his heart beat, calm and smooth. There was this reassurance she got from it. What he said... She knew that, with total confidence in him, he'd use all of his abilities to keep that promise because it was for her.

"I... I will miss you," She said.

"I'll miss you too," He said, "I'll be back before you know it."

Leaving, it was the last thing that he wanted to do right now. Just the last thing. He could feel a warmth coming from her, but it burned within him as he held her close. It was recognizable, but at the same time, new, exciting, and wonderful. He sneaked a glance at her face, her sweet and amazing face. She was looking behind him and didn't notice. He rested his chin on her shoulder, fighting to keep his face straight and not becoming something, what was the word, weak? Emotional. That was it.

There was just this feeling that was so soft and quiet that he felt eating him up inside. It came from the thought of leaving... But he'd be back, right? This was just because he wanted to stay and he didn't really want to go to Gotham because of Bruce, right? He couldn't answer that question, so he just let it go so that he could live in the moment.

The two Titans stayed in each others' arms for a couple minutes, neither speaking, neither daring to end the peaceful feeling that they were having together. Early tomorrow morning, Robin would leave to fly and across the country over to a dark city on the East Coast hundreds of miles away. But that was tomorrow and this was now. And at that moment, now was all that mattered.

**End of Part Two**

-T-

**A/N:** Oh my, oh my! We've just finished Part Two! And that means, you guess it, Gotham ! Oh goody. I've been twitching for forever to write this next part. How was this chapter though? Please Review! Oh, by the way, Beast Boy's code name was a tip of my hat to his voice actor Greg Cipes. Lots of stuff happening, but that's just the tip of the iceberg folks. We've got a lot more to get through. More is coming your way! Later!

Rena


	9. Chap 9: From Rooftops to Sidewalks Pt 3

**Disclaimer:** Out of all the depressing things I've written, none have hit me the hardest as these do here. I don't own them. Oh, I know! Isn't it heart breaking...?

**Author's Note:** I know, I know, I'm late. I've had a hard last week before school and I've been away on vacation and I've been having major writer's block issues. But now I'm back and can't wait to write Part Three. Oh the fun we'll all have in Gotham. By the way, I hope everyone had a good Holiday and a Happy New Year. Also, I wanted to thank those of you who reviewed. They always make me happy. I guess this is one of my late Holiday gifts. So I'll stop talking and let you get on to reading it: "Chapter Nine: From Rooftops to Sidewalks"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part Three: Escalation in Gotham **

**Chapter Nine: From Rooftops to Sidewalks**

The rain poured down the back of his head and down his neck. There was stench in the air, like that of dead rats. It was diluted by the smell of hot dogs that had been sitting on the grill all day and into the night. Below, cars had their headlights on and on occasion were needlessly honking their horns, the drivers annoyed that rush hour traffic had proceeded into the later evening hours. Some were just parking so they could take the monorail. It would be packed, but at least it would be quicker than driving.

Up ahead, a traffic light was out, sending tempers soaring. He really shouldn't be here. It was well lit, safer than other areas. He was needed elsewhere. Running, the adrenaline started to flow, making his heart work faster, his mind think quicker. At the same time it was a blur, but he was picking everything up. Diving off of a high building, he did a flip and neatly landed in a crouch position. But that was only for a second as he soon ran off again. Finally, he slowed down, his cape whipping against his sides.

"Give me your money!"

His head turned towards the yell. Idiot. Who yells that in a city? Especially this one. This guy must be desperate. He heard a muffled sob and a scream coming from a window below with the drapes right by the fire escape. This was inside the building? What on earth? Spreading his arms out, he began to fall.

"Shut up, lady! I said money and jewler--!"

The poor guy never got to finish. Juliet saw someone come through her window. It almost looked like they had flung themselves inside. The person snared the gunman's hand and as he twisted it Juliet heard bones grind. The man screamed and dropped his gun.

"You! I'm gonna--!"

The figure elbowed the robber in the face, sending the man to the floor away from Juliet. The figure turned to Juliet. She was shaking, her brown hair was a mess from being thrown to the floor and her eyes were wet and puffy. She held her hand to her face, choking on tears, shocked at what just happened. What was the world coming to?

He held out a gentle hand, "It's okay."

She looked at the figure. This, this was... "It's okay. I promise. I'm one of the good guys."

The voice was strong, but young, reassuring. She took his hand and found as she stood up that she was taller than he was. Wow. Slowly, she tried to make out details. But he turned and cuffed the gunman to one of the window's bars. After, he grabbed the gun and took out the ammo.

"Call the cops. I've got to go."

With that he was off. Juliet went to the window, but there had literally been no sign left of her rescuer. The man by her feet groaned loudly and Juliet slowly let a small sigh of relief.

His feet were numb, he'd been running and out in the cold for so long. He could feel his sides beginning to shake, to shiver at the adrenaline that he could feel flow through him every time his heart beat. His breath made puffy clouds of air as sweat mingled with rain water. His ears, acute as ever, heard everything – from the water pouring down the drains to the cat below hissing at a dog barking on the ground.

There was no light here, or barely any if one had to be specific. So the bright colors of his costume were nothing more than shadows. They had split up. He was to search the east, Batman, the west. But they'd be meeting up soon. Great. Terrific, really. Robin sighed. He had to admit, he was tired. Being out all night in the rain after a stressful arrival could do that to him and the fact that he and Bruce had barely said anything worth saying didn't help any.

They had talked about the report and thankfully, Bruce had been willing to take a look at it and consider it as a possibility. While there wasn't a real reason for it, that had been one of Robin's real worries. That Batman would just dismiss the theory because the arsonist had not used Hexane before and refused to help. But that was the only thing that they had talked about. Not 'How's life been?' or 'What have you been up to lately?'. No, nothing like that. But then again, that was probably best. That was a can of worms waiting to be opened up. It was just one more thing for Bruce to start getting on his case about. And ask anyone really, there was way too much on his plate as it was.

He thought back to Jump and sighed. He was here now. And he might as well make the most of it. Work hard, get his job done. All that. All that...

_They would have gone to the airport with him, but Robin had told them not to. It would just be easier when it came to getting off as Dick Grayson. And... the idea of going back to Gotham as Robin in an airplane was just begging for some insane terrorist attack or worse, for paparazzi to start asking if he was here to stay. As if! Temporary was all this would be._

_Robin found a place to change once he got near the airport. Taking a cab, Dick got out of the car, tipped the driver and went to wait for his plane. It was about seven in the morning and the sun was just barely coming up. The last day of September was all that it could be. He had about two suitcases and a laptop for the plane ride. He'd ship his other stuff another... less conspicuous way. He sat alone, since not many people were there anyway._

_He kept fiddling with his shake, not knowing whether or not he could manage to drink it. __While his thoughts should have been on the mission ahead, they weren't. They were on last night's events. The party, the revelation, Star, and then everything he had been doing... He shook his head. Maybe he was feeling guilty, considering he was about to go to Gotham, but honestly, how was he going to face Bruce? How? An answer to that would be nice. He could feel his stomach tying up in knots and he could already feel color draining from his face. He had told his friends that he'd be fine. But now he was starting to feel sick to his stomach._

_Calmly, Dick tried to meditate like Bruce had taught him. He could slow his breathing, but not his heart rate. Focus on the mission. Focus on finding their arsonist/robber/killer. Oh man, spending hours downstairs with Batman. Joy._

'Someone kill me now,' _he thought._

_"Flight B10 to Gotham City, first class is now boarding," someone announced over the speaker._

_Dick got up and found himself the only one standing. He saw a couple of adults look up at him. So he happened to be the ward of a billionaire who could buy first class tickets. No reason for them to look at him in surprise. He handed his ticket over to security and went inside. Finding his seat before one of the flight attendants could get up to talk to him, Dick sat down and tried to relax. Maybe he could catch up on his sleep. One of the flight attendants approached him._

_"Dick Grayson?" she asked, a little uncertain that it was him._

_"Yeah?" he said._

_"Oh, um, My name is Chloe and I'll be your flight attendant for your trip. Once we take off is there anything I can get you?" she asked._

_"If I think of something, I'll let you know," he told her._

_She smiled and walked off to be ready for when everyone else boarded. Dick leaned back. There was one thing about plane trips. They made him nervous. He wasn't scared of flying, it was the anticipation, the long time with nothing to do, that made him nervous. And especially when he was going to Gotham. He had only made about six trips out there. Three had all been on the anniversary of his parents' death to pay respects. The others were to see Alfred or attend a party of Bruce's that he just had to go to. Had? Yeah right. It was just a social grace on his part. And this time, it was to work on something. Again, if someone knocked him out right now, he'd be very grateful._

_He didn't know how much time passed and he didn't notice when his flight was delayed fifteen minutes because someone's luggage wasn't on. So when he felt the plane getting ready to take off, it was a bit of shock to him. Buckling up, Dick sat back. The plane started to move forward and the engines rumbled. Instead of closing his eyes, though, to relax, Dick looked out the window as the plane began it's ascension. He saw Jump. He saw everything he had seen before. He saw the bay and he saw the tower. Slowly, a hand came up for one small, almost unnoticeable wave good bye. No one saw it. No one but him._

_About thirty minutes in, Chloe came by again, "Some breakfast, Dick?"_

_"I'm good, I had a shake before I left," Dick told her._

_Chloe nodded, but kept her gaze on Dick a moment longer. It was odd for a teenager alone to get a first class ticket in her opinion. But she shrugged it off to go help the main cabin. When she came back, she looked over to see him asleep in his chair. Poor guy looked exhausted. Reaching over and pulling the blind down, Chloe then went to the front to take a seat and read __The Daily Planet_

_The trip passed without much incident. That is, until they came into Gotham City's limits. A massive storm had swallowed the city and rain pounded against the plane. It was when a crack of lightning split the air and thunder followed that Dick woke up. He looked around and pulled up the window blind to see a monster of a what could have bin a mini hurricane. He wasn't worried, but really, he was a little shaken._

_To see Gotham in the middle of an ugly storm like this was not the best way to come in. And he could only bet that Bruce would be solely focused on his work during such weather._

_Dick sighed and sat back as he heard the captain announce, "We will be descending momentarily. Please fasten your seat-belts and enjoy your stay in Gotham."_

_Dick buckled up and waited. The wind roared outside and Dick felt that enjoying his stay would be the last thing that he would do while here. The plane began to rumble and soar downwards slowly, but not gracefully. He felt a sudden landing as the front wheels of the plane hit the ground. Clutching the seat's arms Dick felt himself suddenly tense as it was announced that they had made a safe arrival in Gotham. What an oxymoron. Gotham? Safe? Yeah, right._

_It took a couple minutes to dock, but they did and Dick was the first one out. Chloe smiled at him and he forced a smile back. He was not happy. Not happy in the slightest. Well, at least Alfred would be picking him up. That was always positive. He got out and saw people waiting around for their next flight. He didn't want to stick around, though. His own thoughts clouded his mind as he subconsciously made his way to the gate where Alfred would be waiting._

_It wasn't until he heard someone call his name that he looked up. "Master Richard!"_

_Dick looked over to see Alfred to his left. He smiled and quickly strode over, "Hey Alfred, thanks for picking me up; you didn't have to."_

_Alfred gave Dick a quick hug and answered, "And leave you to walk home in this storm? Not on my watch."_

_The two smiled and went to pick up Dick's luggage. They weren't going to talk about why he was really here. Not yet. That was a big no-no. Instead they chatted about how that 'private school' going. It was going well. He was acing all of his tests. Having fun with his friends. The usual. They were just about to the limo in the parking lot when Alfred stopped their jovial conversation._

_"Master Dick, I want to make you aware that..." he began._

_"Those waves out there are incredible, Alfred, they're so much..."_

_"Master Dick," Alfred interrupted and this time, Dick shut his mouth to listen, "I want to make you aware that Master Bruce..."_

_Too late. Dick looked over at the car to see Bruce stepping out, tired, probably self-deprived of sleep, and intimidating. Dick fought down the urge to gulp. Bruce was here. He wasn't sleeping in like he was supposed to, like Dick had counted on when he scheduled the flight for this early in the morning. This was just his luck, wasn't it? Dick came forward as Alfred took his luggage and put it in the trunk. _

_The old butler could see Dick's posture had changed noticeably, from carefree to proper, like he was to behave in front of the Queen of England. That would have been fine, except his head bent down low and the smile on his face moments ago had disappeared. Bruce looked down at Dick and opened the car door. Dick muttered 'thanks', got inside and sat on the far end, hoping to stay away from Bruce if he could. Bruce followed and sat in the back, looking around casually. No words were exchanged even after Alfred started the car and tried to spark up some form of conversation between the two. Nearly every attempted ended with 'Yeah, sure' and 'Alright'. _

_As Alfred drove, he kept glancing back at the two of them, hoping one of them would at least try to talk to the other. They both saw this. They both got what he was trying to do. But the excuses. Bruce's probably tired and in a bad mood. Richard's probably angry that he even has to be here. Bruce doesn't care for small talk. Richard doesn't like small talk. And on and on it goes. The butler eventually gave up and gave a disapproving look at the two sending what he hoped was guilt down their silent throats._

_Soon, they were on their way up the road in Bristol that lead to Wayne Manor. In this lighting, Dick saw that the usually elegant Manor looked more like a cold fortress. The shadows cast upon it made the Gothic architecture even more outstanding and intimidating. It didn't look like it was all that warm inside either. Alfred parked the car and the two got out._

_Bruce only said, "Why don't you unpack, I have work to do."_

_Dick squinted his eyes, but didn't say anything. Fine, no 'hello'. Still, Bruce was probably just tired. Maybe he was making this out to be worse than it should be. It's all your attitude, right? Wait, what? Oh yeah, sure, let's go with that because otherwise this would be unbearable. With Alfred's help, Dick brought his bags upstairs to his room. Everything was the same, though he could Alfred had recently dusted. _

_Quickly putting his bags away and grabbing his laptop, Dick walked down to Bruce's study where the old grandfather clock stood. Large pictures adorned the walls, most of them just expensive paintings. A rare vase here or sculpture there. It was all the same. The white marble and columns stood to his right and left as he neared the study. He grasped the crystal doorknob and twisted it to reveal the study, books rising nearly four times his height and computer to the side of the polished oak desk. But he passed that for the grandfather clock. This is the only moment where he stopped, and hesitated for a moment. _

_Did he really want to do this? No, that wasn't the question. Did he really have to do this? The answer was most certainly 'yes'. That meant that there was no way around it. No way out of working with the man who he had stormed out on three years ago. No way around the awkward silences and the critics. No way. No way. Dick sighed and thought back to the tower. The sooner he got this over with, the better. Slowly, he turned the clock's hands to 10:47 PM and the grandfather removed itself to reveal the staircase below._

-T-

The sun had risen just moments ago. Starfire was standing on the roof, her arms folded as she looked up at the horizon. It was lonely now. It hadn't been before, even when he was just in his room. She looked over at the planes taking off. They began to soar away. One after another, each second getting faster. It made her blood boil. She didn't know which plane was Robin's, but that didn't matter since she could only assume that it had already taken off.

They just kept getting faster and faster and kept flying out of sight.

Starfire clenched her fists. Instantly she jetted off to the airplanes. One was taking off. She was beating it. It started to catch up. She sped up, feeling the wind whip her hair. She saw people watching her out of the corner of her eye. She knew she wasn't supposed to do this. But she could let her anger out. Zooming upward, Starfire kept on going. They were heading across the bay, away from Gotham. She shot starbolts downwards at the water, making blasts of sea water shoot up. She turned over so that her back faced the water and she could see the tower. The Tower.

He said he'd be okay. She knew her anger only came from that... loneliness as Raven would say. And... If he promised that he'd be okay, the least she could do was make sure that she was also okay. Starfire stopped and watched the plane fly off. The others were probably waking up. The wind and salty air hit her face. Her lighted fists and emerald eyes slowly lost their glow. She'd be okay. But already, she really missed him.

-T-

Rudy wiped his brow for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. The place was a wreck. The glass cups and plates were shattered all over the floor. The disco balls and technicolor lights had either been smashed or twisted into useless scrap. And the chairs and tables, they were nothing but splinters, unrecognizable to anyone except Rudy.

The Titans. Of all things. How could they have found out about this place? There had to be a snitch. Had to be. And he could bet his previously ridiculously high salary that everyone would be looking for that little traitor. Red X maybe? Or maybe that pink haired twit, what was her name? Or could of been Kitten. That rotten little... But how would he find whoever told while he was sitting in a cell? The police had arrived last night, after everyone left. The Titans had sent them and now he was confined inside. No invasion of privacy, just house arrest. Or rather, work arrest.

That's not what he was worried about, though. He was dreading the call that would come any minute. What would he say? What would he think? Worse yet, what would he do to him? The phone rang, scaring Rudy enough to wet himself. His hand shook and he could feel his own skin dampen his already sweaty clothes. This was so bad. What if he just left it ring, didn't answer it? No, that would be worse. Far worse. Somehow, Rudy found the courage to stand up and bring himself over to the phone.

"He, hel, hello?" Rudy dared.

"Rudy, I heard about last night," The voice, smooth, blood chilling said.

"I, uh, well, it's a funny story about that, Mr..." Rudy began.

"The Titans came for a party, is that right?"

"Well, uh, yeah, but that, it wasn't my fault, I swear, sir," Rudy quickly spilled out.

"I don't blame you in the slightest, Rudy," Slade said, leaning back in his seat, watching the portable TV screen.

"You, you don't?" Rudy was shaking so hard it was nearly impossible to stand, but Slade had eased up on the poor man a bit so that he could at least find a chair to sit down on.

"No, Rudy, actually, I should be... thanking you," Slade told him watching the scene of the fight last night, but then he switched to a different image.

"Thank...thanking me?" Rudy asked.

Slade's eye watched the screen as a black haired boy boarded a flight in the Jump City airport. The scene changed again, this time, showing a reunion. The boy walked through Gotham's airport only to find his old butler standing there waiting for him. His eyes followed their path of travel while a small, entertained smile came to his lips as they widened on his face.

_The boy was here._

"Yes, I should thank you, Rudy," Slade said, after a moment's thoughts.

"For, for what?" Rudy asked.

The boy and the butler walked down the hallways. The boy was pretending to be casual, but his posture revealed otherwise to Slade. There was a slight slouch in that confident carefree posture and the boy's face, while light hearted, was a bit tight, as though he was anticipating something soon. This intrigued Slade. While he had yet to install cameras in the Wayne Manor, there was no doubt in his mind that he would find out eventually why that was.

Finally, Slade answered slowly, but with a sharp tone, "That's none of your concern."

"Well," Rudy got a little more confident, "What about Zenith's Fire? What do you want to do about that?"

"I'll find another spot to open up something similar, Rudy," Slade told him casually, "It's a small asset in the long run."

"What about the cops? I can't go to jail. I've got a wife, huh? I've got a wife!" Rudy begged.

"I'll get you a good lawyer, Rudy, trust me, I know many. You won't be going to jail," Slade calmed the bartender, "But do me a favor though...

"Anything, sir, anything," Rudy grovelled.

"Spread the word."

Rudy sweat hard, "Uh, what word?"

Slade stroked his goatee for a moment before answering, "The snitch is no longer welcome to our parties."

Rudy gulped loudly causing Slade to roll his eyes at the sound. "I have to go. I have work that requires my attention."

"Alright, well, thank you again, Mr. Wilson, thank you..." Rudy heard the receiver go blank and stopped talking.

The man was a weakling. Pathetic, really. No matter. Zenith's fire was nothing. Merely an easy way to hear that he could replace in a few days or two about what was going on in Jump's Underworld. Although, compared to Gotham, it seemed more like a knitting circle. The people in Gotham, the criminals, they had firepower. They only thing they had that Slade didn't like was that they had a... certain taste for theatrics. Luckily this one wasn't... too far fetched.

They called him Mr. Freeze. He was a sob story, that was for sure. Lost his girl and became a cold-hearted money-obsessed freak. Ha. Weren't they all? Freeze was perfect for the job. There was nothing unusual about _him_ trying to rob a bank, especially considering all the times he had done that before.

Still, why not be a bit theatrical? It could always be a bit fun. Make it big, front-page worthy, make them have to chip out the bank for months after... That's what he needed tonight. Keep the two vigilantes busy. Keep them worried about a big time heist--then the rest of Gotham. Keep the Boy Wonder away. It was too soon. Yes, too soon.

The brilliant boy. Smart boy. Endless potential. Robin was really something. Everyone else takes pictures of the Man of Steel, the Dark Knight, and the Princess of the Amazons. They're blind. Yes, Robin was his 'arch-enemy', but really, what kid could accomplish so much in such a short space of time? The boy was going to be better than his teacher. Of that, Slade was certain and somehow, he could only bet that Batman thought the same...

Slade looked over at the clock. It was time to go. The evening hours approached rapidly and that meant time was ticking away. Shaking his head free of thoughts and getting out of the car, Slade walked over to the store. It was an old store. Not that much security, not that it mattered. He wasn't risking throwing away all of his time for something that he could easily buy.

The sign above read in old brown and ruby-red letters 'Cultural Antiques since 1939'. Well, this was the address, that was for sure. He had no time now (apparently neither did the owner, since it was closed) and he had... other matters of business that he had to attend to. Striding over to the car, Slade reached in and grabbed a suitcase. He nodded at Wintergreen and began to walk off.

Wintergreen leaned back. He had seen the man do this many times. Too many. But alas, it was not up to him as to what his friend did. And even more regrettable, he always worried that one day Slade would... lose, again. And maybe this time, lose too much. Wintergreen didn't think that Slade would ever _just_ lose. He knew that with... whatever Slade was doing now, he had a plan and knew what he was doing. But then again, Slade had known what he was doing when he had first done something that involved the Boy Wonder. And the boy had beaten him, which Wintergreen had not expected.

The new game has already started and all bets are on. It's his turn. The defeat before showed the promise that Robin had. The... Potential, as Slade would say. But the defeat, if anything, made Slade even more determined to do... something. To win, to accomplish whatever it was that he has set out to do. It's his turn to place his bet. He has to pass. There's no way to no what sort of outcome could come from these upcoming events.

-T-

The rain went from a pounding drum to a tittering cymbal. It was still cold, but the rain was letting up. Finally. It was at least three in the morning anyhow. Scanning the streets below, Robin jumped from building to building watching, looking, waiting. Somehow, that happened when he was in Gotham. He could look and watch for danger in Jump. But he could feel it in Gotham. There was something, like the earth had opened up and Gotham had come out of it. It was almost a pattern, crystal buildings in the center and then the cool lava had hardened around the center. But with this scene came the little devils that crawled around, lurking in the shadows.

Keeping this in mind, it did not surprise him when he saw a flash of quick movement entering a jewelry store. Going closer, Robin squinted his eyes and listened. A window was opening on the right side. He ran. The endorphins were released almost instantly, flooding his blood stream and enhancing the chase. He saw a dart of purple there, something black. He kept running. His breath was quick, silent, controlled. Soon, he leaped ahead of the criminal, who had taken their chase to the roof tops.

They came around the corner and with a smack, Robin's bo-staff found it's target and his net tangled up the robber. Robin went into the light partially and then he saw who the burglar was. Catwoman?! Great. She struggled at the net and pulled hard, her annoyance at him apparent. Finally, she looked up to see who her captor was.

"You?!" she asked.

"What?" he raised his brows in response.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She continued, obviously annoyed and repulsed.

"Well, I hit you in the gut and tangled you up in a net and you just robbed a jewelry store. What do you think I'm doing here?" Robin asked back.

"No, kid, I meant what are you doing in Gotham?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

"Don't worry, I'll be gone before you know it," Robin told her and added under his breath. "Hopefully, anyway."

Catwoman's eyes darted around. He couldn't quiet tell if she was more angry at the fact that she was caught or the fact that he was actually here. If anything, she was probably hoping that Batman would have been the one to show up, not his partner. Then again, she probably didn't think of him as a partner. Not even a sidekick. That surprised? To refresh one's memory... oh, what were some of her nicknames for him when he had been younger? Oh yes, Birdy-boy, brat, bird-brain, runt, etc. Robin couldn't blame her, though. They'd never really gotten along.

"So what are you going to do? Turn me in?" Catwoman asked.

"Too busy, I'll have someone come pick you up," Robin told her as he began to punch in the address on a locator.

Catwoman's eyes narrowed and her nose wrinkled up. This kid didn't have time for her? What has the world come to? No, she didn't like the kid, but this was different. The kid how... wow, the kid had guns! How can the kid even have biceps? He was a kid. What had he been doing in the west? He wasn't shooting out puns, either. He was being a smart aleck. While in reality this wasn't very new at all, it was a newsflash for her. What else had changed?

"And what's making the Boy Wonder so busy, then?" Catwoman asked.

Robin answered, "None of your business."

Catwoman relaxed, sitting on her knees. He had to hand it to her--she knew how to act the damsel in distress when she wasn't. When he was younger, he never could quite get why Batman would get stiff around her. Women could be so... they just knew. They knew how to make themselves look attractive and make men fidget. In that sense, he was extremely glad that he was too young for her and could still hate her. Concentrating on calling Gordon, he still was annoyed when she interrupted him.

Catwoman pouted almost playfully and added, "Must be important for you to come all the way out here."

"Can you shut up?" Robin asked, turning toward her, his bo-staff at hand.

"Why you little..." she started.

"Enough!"

They both turned their heads to see the demon-like man. Robin held his staff where it was and suddenly straightened his posture while Catwoman merely smiled and loosened up her body a bit. It should be a crime that a girl could see all of those muscles under that suit.

"Robin, what's going on?" he asked, approaching Catwoman.

"She just robbed a jewelry store," Robin told him.

"Which one?"

"The one on 52nd Street," Robin answered.

Batman bent down and snapped the robes with a batarang, increasing the size of Catwoman's smile and putting an outraged look on Robin's face.

"What, Batman, what are you..."

"She was returning a pair of earrings," Batman answered.

"Returning in the middle of the night when the store is closed and no one's around?" Robin questioned.

Batman turned his head to look at him and Robin understood what was going on. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" he yelled.

Catwoman stood up and brushed the dirt off her suit as Robin continued, "She robbed the store and just because she returned it, you're going to let her get away with it?"

Batman finally faced Robin, "It's complicated, Robin. We'll discuss this later."

Robin's disbelief was obvious and yet Catwoman's pleasure was even more apparent. She hoped over to a chimney and looked down at the two of them, "He's gotten taller."

Batman said nothing and waited. She wanted to know something and he wasn't up for small talk, "So, what's going on that you need to have the Boy Wonder tag along?"

"The homicides," Batman told her simply.

"The one that killed Austin?" Catwoman asked, her voice suddenly heavier with a serious concern in her tone.

"In your neighborhood, yes," Batman answered.

She raised her eyebrows. Since Austin, she had been out more often than usual. While she was by no means a hero, she didn't like it when someone else messed with her territory. And while there was a side to her that loved just being out and playing cat and mouse, there was another part of her that begged for reason, for order. She blamed it on society. So when Austin was randomly murdered, it put her on edge.

Jumping down, Catwoman walked up, "You know, calling the runt out here is a little unnecessary, don't you think?"

"Robin's here by his own choice," Batman informed her.

"Really?" Catwoman asked, obviously surprised. She never bothered to hide reactions from the two of them.

She looked over at Robin who was ignoring her, "Thought you could handle Gotham again?"

Robin's teeth clenched, but there was no other sign of his annoyance, "That's real funny, you know?"

He didn't look at her, no respect whatsoever was given. The punk. Catwoman turned back to Batman who was watching both of them, not amused.

"Look handsome, I haven't heard anything, except for Gotham's underworld doesn't like intruders," she told Batman who glanced at her only briefly.

"Are you implying that you might keep an eye out for this person?" Batman asked, but he already knew the answer.

Catwoman smiled, this time, her voice, still deeper, had a rich lush tone to it. She was flirting, "Maybe... And maybe once the kid's gone I can go rob a jewelry store."

"Do you really think you'll have time for that?" Robin asked and Catwoman's eyes darted at him, "I mean, considering the fact that you'll have to spend all day at the beauty parlor for that party that you're probably invited to, right Selina? Maybe you should get started now. It must take hours..."

At the use of her real name, Catwoman stood up at the insult. She saw Batman glaring at Robin for the smart alecky remark, but something told her that it was time for her to go even if Batman was about to lecture the kid.

"Fine, Bird-boy," she said, standing on the roof's ledge, "It was nice to see you too."

With that she fell off and into the dark alleys below. Robin didn't even turn to face Batman and instead began to walk off. But he didn't get far before he was stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Robin hunched his shoulders for a moment, bracing himself, "What? Come on, I'm so sick of her. She's constantly a problem and you let her be!"

Batman's face didn't flinch nor show expression, so Robin continued, "And you know, I'm not here to be your sidekick! I came out here so I could stop the robberies occurring in Jump."

Robin let out a breath and waited. Batman didn't say anything. Nothing, there was nothing. He just cast his eyes down. Down on Robin. And Robin couldn't stand it. It was that silent disappointment. That eerie feeling that he'd get whenever he knew that he had disappointed Bruce somehow. That feeling when he knew that Bruce expected more of him--him, the teen, not the kid. The one who's supposed to be maturing. The one who shouldn't be insulting women by calling them ugly. The gut feeling, the one he had worried about came and he bent his head down at the ground, a scowl on his face, but the silent apology visible, despite still being a bit bitter.

Light hit his face. Batman turned towards the source to see the Bat-signal illuminate the night sky. In an instant, the dark knight had leaped off the building leaving his squire standing there. Robin looked over in the direction of the GCPD station. He sighed. Well, at least they could put this conversation off till later. No, he wasn't hoping that Batman would forget. That would never happen. Robin ran and fell off the building, diving down. The free fall was weightless, wonderful, if for only a couple seconds.

Closing his eyes for a moment, for one moment as he fell past everything, Robin wished that he really could fly.

-T-

**A/N:** How was it? Please review! Tell me what you thought of it. Not much going on and I know that it was a bit of a cliffy, but there are chapters like that with me. Oh, and if Catwoman was a little OOC, please forgive me, I'm still trying to figure out how to write her, plus this was her first appearance in the story and there's more to come that will expand her character. Just to let you know, there's a lot more coming in Gotham. A couple rogues, here and there. Little surprises if you read Batman comics. Honestly, now that my writer's block is over, I'm on a roll. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Later!

Rena


	10. Chapter 10: This Is Gotham

**Disclaimer:** -Wakes up and looks around- Oh man, I just had the best dream ever! I was in my room, right, and had gotten up to answer the door and they handed me the Teen Titans and the DCU! And then I fainted and woke up and it was all a sad dream... So yeah, I don't own them.

**Author's Note:** So we left off with Robin and Batman running off to do that hero thing. Oh yes, I remember now. I guess I better get started telling you what happens next, huh? ... Nah, let me tell you about my week and my troubles and my romance life and everything else like that debate as to which shirt I should buy. Just kidding, I'd never do that to you guys. So on with the, uh, chapter! "Chapter Ten: This Is Gotham"!

**A Note About the GCPD:** Just so no one gets confused, here's what's going on. Every character that is actually a police officer comes from some form of the Batman Mythology. The comics, the movies, and the cartoon TV series' are all fair game. Generally their rank will remain the same as they do in their regular appearances.

**A Note About Gotham City:** Again, I have to point this out. Nothing's off limits in this story. Comics, movies, TV series, anything. But I will let loose some (not all) of the stuff that will be referenced (as of right now) if readers want to see what whatever's from. So far big ones include: "Batman: The Long Halloween", "Batman: Dark Victory", "Robin: Year One", and "Batman Begins". Once again, readers do NOT have to have an inside knowledge of these books or movies to understand the story. I'm just putting it out there in case anyone's interested.

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Ten: This Is Gotham**

The office was mostly empty. No wonder, half the squad was at the bank. Ethan knew, though, that the Commissioner was still up on the roof. His car was still right outside and he'd wait till ol' Bats showed up. Grabbing a coat, Ethan walked up the steps. Gordon's figure stood looking up into the sky. The younger officer slightly wondered why Gordon would do such a thing. After all, they were pretty sure that Batman couldn't actually fly like Metropolis' Man of Steel. Maybe Gordon was caught up in the small sense of hope that they all had when they kept their fingers crossed.

"Why aren't you at the bank, Bennett?" Gordon asked, turning to him, the Bat-signal's light illuminating his face and front.

"Just got off from that Wayne Enterprises thing and Ellen's on her way. She had to stop at home for something and said she'd meet me here." Ethan said.

Gordon nodded and turned back away from Ethan. They never knew which way the Batman would come up to the rooftop, but Gordon always faced the signal. You couldn't even leave a bet like that to chance. The signal was where he looked out to.

"How long have you been waiting?" Ethan asked.

"Fifteen minutes."

"He late?"

"Compared to most times." Gordon answered.

He hated when the man was late. Batman was never late without good reason. Then again, good reason could mean trapped, fighting, or dead. Well, maybe not dead. Gordon just couldn't picture that. It made him fidget and want to grab a pack and start again. But he had quit smoking and Barbara hated it when he did. So he kept his head up and searched the sky. There was a whip of fabric in the wind and Ethan swiftly turned around to see Batman's imposing figure. Like a demon or a vampire. Cool.

Gordon spun around at the sound, "You're here."

"You sound surprised."

"No, you're just normally..." Gordon searched for the right words, "... Here sooner."

"I had to deal with something. What is Freeze threatening?" Batman asked.

While Ethan blinked at hearing that Batman already knew it was Freeze, Gordon continued on the conversation, "He's got the bank inside fortress of ice crystal. The people inside are getting hypothermia and he keeps threatening to kill them off or make it worse."

"What does he want?" Batman asked.

"To walk out with the money. No real reason for it." Gordon answered.

"So there's no real reason why we shouldn't go stop him?"

Gordon and Ethan both spun this time around to see another figure, a brighter one. Gordon turned back to Batman in surprise and then back to Robin.

"I'd say long time no see, but I only saw you a month or so ago?" Gordon remarked, with a questioning in his voice.

"Well I'll say it then, 'long time no see'!" Ethan answered.

"Thanks. It's good to see you too, Bennett, but we'll talk more once we stop Freeze. Want to give me the download?" Robin asked.

Batman couldn't begin to fathom how it was that teenagers could make that sound 'cool', but when an adult used it, they sounded like they were part of some cheesy movie.

Gordon brought him out of his trance, "He's back, so soon?"

Batman sighed, "Yes, temporarily."

"Temporarily?"

"Yes."

"Why only temporarily?" Gordon asked.

While he never liked to meddle with what was mostly Batman's decisions, he couldn't help but draw back on old memories. Ones where Robin had first come in. Ones where Robin had just left. And then the last time he had been here briefly. And now 'Only temporarily'? He hated how Batman could be like a computer sometimes. No emotion could distinguish whether the man was happy or sad about that or even if the man didn't care.

"He's here to help with the homicides. We believe there might be a link to some crimes occurring in Jump City," Batman answered.

So blunt. He glanced over. Robin had grown a bit, hadn't he? When Robin had left, while already incredibly strong, still looked pretty scrawny, even though Gordon guessed, that was probably genetics. But now, he could see that Robin was maturing a bit. His muscles were more prominent and his jaw had jutted out a bit more, the result of his kid face growing out of that stage of life.

"He has to go back to the Titans?" Gordon asked.

"When this is over, he will." Batman told him.

Was that because Batman wanted him to or because Robin wanted to? He hoped it wasn't the former. Ethan finally turned to Gordon and Robin did the same.

"Ready?" Batman asked.

Robin's stance shifted only slightly. But only so slightly. Only Batman saw it, "Yeah."

"We'll be off then." Batman turned his back away. Who knew how long those people would have to be in the hospital now? "Good evening, Commissioner Bennett."

The two vigilantes dived off the roof and into darkness. Ethan let out a laugh, "That kid, he sure is something."

Gordon walked over to Bat-signal where light surrounded the edges of the Bat on top. The light was just so bright, but once it was gone, everything would be engulfed in darkness on the roof. He sighed and turned it off.

"Yeah, he's something," he answered, and they both swiftly went down and out to their cars where Ellen was waiting for them.

Time ticked away.

Resembling the Fortress of Solitude, the bank was encased from the inside. Impossible. Robin scanned around the building and met Batman on the other side.

"There's no way to access it on this side, your's?" he asked.

"Nothing," Batman answered.

"The roof?"

"Possibly."

"What about from underneath?" Robin suggested.

Batman used the digital hand held to search above and get the city construction lay outs. There was a way to get in from above, nothing below. It figures, why put a bank underneath a pipe anyway?

"The roof's the only option." Batman announced and Robin sighed.

"That's a trap." He stated. Great. He hated traps. Why did they always have to be traps?

Batman looked over at Robin for a moment and Robin looked back, "Wait a minute... You want to..."

"I'll go into the trap, while he's distracted, free everyone subtly." Batman told him.

"He's ready to flash freeze everybody. There's no way that he wouldn't do the same to you," Robin shot back.

"Freeze likes to talk. He'll keep me awake to let himself talk." Batman responded.

"He took up the talking routine?" Robin asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Sadly." Batman answered, almost regretting the fact. Those talks could be quite boring...

"Fine, let's go." Robin said, as though being resigned to another fate.

They grappled over, reminding Robin of when Speedy would slide from buildings on a rope and bow. Turning on the spikes of his shoes, Robin easily got over the ice crystal before Batman, his youth once again an advantage. There were sirens blaring around them. They could hear Sawyer yelling out at Freeze, hopefully distracting him from Batman and Robin's ascension into the bank.

Batman opened up the vent. It was so small compared to him. Robin nodded over and pointed to himself. Batman shook his head. As the Dark Knight disappeared, Robin could hear the quiet, few sounds of ever so careful movements. He cringed and he knew that Batman must being so as well. The vent was so small. After ten or fifteen seconds, Robin also lowered himself inside. Already, it was extremely cold and, annoyingly slippery. He kept his mouth shut, though. He could only barely make out Batman ahead of him.

But that was enough. At least, it was enough to see Batman stop. He'd choose the first slightly visible but unlikely place to get out. Freeze would expect it. Opening the vent slowly, Batman got out and began to hide in the shadows. Robin held his breath. Hopefully Freeze wouldn't...

"Batman!" No such luck.

Inside the bank, the walls were blue with frost and people shuddered madly. They had to get to a hospital. Batman faced Freeze openly.

"Let them go, Freeze." He ordered.

"Now who are you to be giving orders?" He held up his hands, the big suit of his clunking around. Batman dodged as Mr. Freeze sent ice crystals hurling out his way. He attempted to get to the hostages, but Freeze soon caught one part of him. The cape. It was always the cape, wasn't it? While it didn't stop him, it certainly slowed Batman down and Freeze eventually hit the man's shoes and began to work his way up. From the waist down, Batman couldn't move.

"That really was very rude of you, you know." Freeze answered.

Batman merely growled. He reached for his belt, but Freeze wouldn't have any of that. Freezing everything except for Batman's head and neck, he got all of Batman's full and undivided attention. And thus Freeze returned the favor and focused on tormenting his captive enemy with obvious delight. All of this plus, he was getting paid to do it. Things couldn't be better than this.

Robin tensed, but knew it was his turn to get out there. As Freeze talked, he crawled away from the already opened vent. It got tighter, but he was okay with that. He could still move. Finally, he found a vent behind a column and ducked out. Quietly, he glanced around, satisfied when he saw Freeze still focused on Batman. Creeping around, he caught site of the first worker. They were half-conscience, but when they saw Robin, their eyes opened wider. He hushed them with a finger to his lips and he slowly cut with a tiny laser their ice encased hands.

He stopped when the layer was so thin, the accountant could break it easily, even in their weakened state. After holding a hand to motion them to wait, Robin continued onward. Freeze kept talking, mouthing up a storm about how he would finally defeat the great Batman. While at the moment, Robin wasn't entirely concerned with how Batman was doing, knowing that Batman's suit was keeping him alive only for a short amount of time. Freeze would willingly entirely freeze Batman.

"And now, after all these years, you'll meet your demise for a stupid bank robbery. This is what will be your downfall." Freeze announced.

Robin could tell Batman was ready to smack Freeze. Now he just had to blast a hole in the doorway. If he could do this without alerting Freeze... He gently tossed the few mini bombs at the door. They clattered on the icy surface. Freeze turned, suddenly surprised.

"What?"

Robin activated the bombs. They exploded sending smoke and ice everywhere. Robin ran back and began to help the weakest get out first. He could hear the GCPD outside, urging people to get away and getting ready to get the hostages out. Batman immediately increased the heat in his suit and struggled to get out at the first chance he got. When the smoke dispersed, Freeze caught sight of Robin.

"You? You!" He lashed out sending ice crystals his way.

Robin dodged out of the way, but icicles began to litter the ceiling and the floor. Batman broke free within seconds and began an attempt to get Freeze's focus back on him. Meanwhile, Robin continued to help the hostages.

"Get out, go!" He yelled, when he heard the sound of ice crystals thickening.

Turning, he saw Batman fighting Freeze. Running forward, Robin leaped onto Freeze's back and began to pull out cords keeping Mr. Freeze's ice-suit from working, but also earning an alarmed look from Batman.

"No! You little..." Batman caught him off guard with a sharp upper cut to the face and Freeze went down.

Batman glanced at Robin, but Robin refused to look the look. He knew what would come later. But he was distracted when flashbulbs started to pop in his face. He looked over, horrified. _No_! There were photographers everywhere. Taking pictures. Of Batman and him. Of Batman and Robin. _No, no, no!_ Batman gave them no heed and walked out, grappling away. Robin felt a knot in his stomach churn for the second time that night. Great. He then grappled away as well. It was the end of a very long night and not just for them. In the smoky remains of the townhouse, Slade gazed down at the damage. Trigon had taught him one thing. Devastation was indeed, sometimes necessary.

But fatigue and the needs of the human body could demand so much of one's attention. The next morning, Bruce was in the dining room eating eggs and Alfred's famous hash-browns when Dick came down, furious.

"You know how perfect this is?" He asked, throwing down the newspaper in front of his Guardian.

On the front page in big bold letters it read **"DYNAMIC DUO BACK!"** and below there was one of the millions of photos that were taken last night.

"The only draw back is that there's no longer that element of surprise, which would have been lost anyway once Freeze got back to Arkham," Bruce said in a rather sarcastic and blunt way.

Dick scrunched up his face. "That's not funny, Bruce. I'm being serious."

"And this conversation doesn't get anything done." Bruce commented.

Dick felt a fury build up. "So I'm not allowed to voice disappointment or annoyance?"

"You mean complain? Well, yes. You were the one who decided to come back here and honestly, you shouldn't be so wrapped up in yourself." Bruce told him, drinking down a glass of juice.

Dick was taken back, but Bruce continued, "Otherwise you would have gotten past page one and seen the devastation done to Mrs. Clara Thompson and her townhouse last night."

Dick took the paper back violently and flipped open to the next page to see the article about the woman. She was a widow and lived alone. But last night, somehow, her house went ablaze and she was lost to the smoking inferno. Dick down and bent his head down. They'd lost another person.

"It proves your theory though." Bruce said, taking that as a positive note, but barely, "These people are using others for distractions."

Dick didn't look up and instead he sat down and waited for Alfred to bring in a dish. "Guess I'm proving a lot to you, aren't I?"

Bruce didn't acknowledge him and Dick was positive that he was right. The man wasn't a fan of how he had worked last night. Tackling Freeze so 'recklessly', yeah, Bruce was really impressed. Alfred brought out his dish and could automatically sense the tension in the room.

"Master Bruce, Fox just called, wants to have a word with you about that security system WayneTech's been working on," Alfred said as he put down a fresh waffle in front of them both.

"Thanks, Alfred." Bruce said, taking another sip.

"Did you sleep well, Master Dick?" Alfred asked, turning his attention to the younger of the two.

"Pretty good, thanks." Dick replied.

"That's good." Alfred answered back and then he turned back to finish his conversation with Bruce. "I told Fox that you'd be down there this afternoon. Why don't you have Dick go along with you? With a project that interesting, it may be useful to show him."

"Show me what?" Dick asked.

"It's a security system that Gotham City's buying to upgrade their file protection for things like social security and permanent records, stuff like that." Bruce said, "You don't have to deal with any Titans business do you?"

"No. They can handle things themselves." Dick said coolly.

Bruce nodded.

-T-

There would always be brighter mornings to say the least. Jump City's mornings were always warm. It was like a rule. They couldn't go below forty degrees Fahrenheit. But that also meant that it was always slightly muggy. Raven felt her turtleneck grab at her skin. She hated this. It felt like Trigon's domain. The sun was barely making its presence known. It wasn't yet over the horizon. She was on patrol because she couldn't take the night. Too many nightmares. And thankfully, flying could always ease her worries. It did that to everyone.

At this hour, most people were asleep. But she could feel the emotions of those who were still up. A male in his forties was angry that he had to go to work this early in the morning. A husband was coming home to a worried wife. Some college students were coming back home from a long party. A child was sleeping and dreaming a wonderful, innocent dream. She was knocked from her present state of hypnosis from a sound coming from a dirty alley way.

A trash can got knocked over and she heard the ripping of the trash bags. Yelling. She slowly got down low and landed. She blended herself into the shadows. There didn't seem to be anyone there. There was only light from the slowly coloring sky and a street lamp at the end of the alley perpendicular to the one she herself was in. This didn't bother her. But still, she could have sworn...

Raven gasped as she felt her mouth being covered and her hood being pulled down over her head. Someone kicked her back and she grunted painfully. This certain annoying someone then grabbed her wrists and wrestled them behind her.

"Take me to the tower." He told her roughly.

Raven shook her head and he gripped her wrists tighter. "You owe me, come on!"

Raven eyes widened beneath the hood and she muffled her response. She could get free anytime. But who was this guy? He let go of her wrist and lifted his hand to her face and pulled off the gag. Whipping around, Raven saw the black, red, and white mask facing her. She heard yelling. Something about getting him. She hit the alarm on her communicator and then allowed for the cold encasement trap her.

Within moments, she and Red X dropped to the floor of the main room. Red X, who wasn't used to this, panted and attempted to shake off the bone-chilling sensation, only to find his hands surrounded by Raven's telekinetic energy. Perfect.

"You didn't think I'd just teleport you here to let you run ramped, did you?" Raven asked with an air of satisfaction about her.

"Not really." Red X answered.

Almost as though on cue, the other three Titans raced into the room, all jerked from their beds and still looking thoroughly shaken by the alarm.

"Raven, what the...?" Cyborg started, but at the sight of Red X stopped. "Oh, goody."

"You caught the Red X, friend Raven?" Starfire asked in disbelief.

"Who says I'm caught?" Red X asked indignantly.

Beast Boy snorted. "Dude, you're in a cage. Not like you can really get away."

"All right, so my circumstances are dim. But at least they're better than they are out there." Red X gestured to a window.

They all glanced in the direction of his gesture and then back at him, "All right then, X, we give, what's so bad about 'out there'?"

Red X looked torn between his pride and his will to live, but answered honestly to Cyborg, "Remember the other night? Well, basically, Kitten put the word out that it was all my fault that you were there last night. She's basically going ballistic because I wasn't paying attention to her."

"Don't blame ya." Beast Boy added.

"Well, it doesn't exactly help me now. Someone's put a bounty on my head for it, or rather whoever told you guys about Zenith's." Red X told them. "And you owe me. I need to lay low."

"And you expect us to let you just hang out here in Titan's Tower?" Raven asked in disbelief.

"Would you mind?" Red X asked.

"Forgive us, but yes." Starfire replied. "And Robin would not approve of such a thing."

Perhaps it was because this was the first time that Red X noticed that Robin wasn't present, but he seemed generally happier. "Look, I'll make you a deal, you have anything, anyplace that you can put me on lock down? I don't really care. I'll give you the belt and I'll stay there whenever you guys get bored of playing watchdog, how's that sound?"

The four Titans looked at one another, wondering what on earth they were supposed to do with this guy who was practically begging to be locked up. Raven glanced at him and Red X gave her a very blank but very 'you owe me, be guilty' sort of look as well. She sighed.

"We could put him in the lock-down room. The one that you guys kept me in when Trigon attacked." Raven suggested, "Either way we might just have to send him to jail anyway."

"Raven, what are you doing?" Beast Boy asked. "This creep..."

"Gave us information." She used her telekinesis to take the belt away from it's possessor. "Let him keep the mask and just take him to the room. I'm tired."

With that Raven handed Red X over to Cyborg and slowly walked out of the room. The remaining Titans looked at each other and then at Red X who seemed very pleased with himself. That is, until Cyborg gave him the pep talk.

"You realize what you've gotten yourself into?" He asked.

Red X shrugged. "Two chicks nearby, a safe house, and uh, free pizza?"

At the former, Starfire gave off a resounding 'humph' and stormed off, but Beast Boy could only let his smile broaden wider. "Not really, what you got is Stankball and lots of it."

Red X looked at the two Titans like they were crazy. "What?"

If only he had thought this all the way through. If only, if only, if only. But he didn't and now he was in for who knows what. Come on, what on earth is 'Stankball'? Red X shuddered. He sort of didn't want to know.

-T-

Dick sort of just kind of wished that he wasn't riding in the limousine down to WayneTech or was in a suit. Dick hated tuxes. They always grabbed at his throat and the tie wasn't exactly very welcome, either. Not that he'd actually say anything about it. Bruce would call it immature. Or rather, he wouldn't say it, he'd just give one of those oh-so-famous looks. And come to think of it, it was immature for someone his age.

Adjusting himself in his seat, Dick glanced out the window as the limo slowed to a halt. There was still a dull overcast left over from yesterday that just begged to cry. WayneTech was, granted, much cooler than Wayne Tower. There were more practical uses for the building and there were a lot less offices. But of course an office would be their first stop. Bruce got out and led the way into the building, heading on a course that only he would be able to remember because no one but Bruce would waste his time remembering the layout of all of the buildings he owned. But Dick couldn't blame him. Batman had to stop burglaries down here all the time. They really needed to upgrade their...

"Mr. Wayne! Dick!'

Dick finally looked up to see the familiar face of Lucius Fox. "Hi, Mr. Fox."

The man smiled and replied, "Haven't seen you in a while. Do you like that school I recommended?"

"Oh, yeah, it's great, really." Dick said, feigning happiness.

Bruce cleared his throat. He didn't want this to take too long. "Lucius, you said that Project Firewall is functional?"

"Oh, uh, yes." Lucius looked back up at his employer, "We just ran it this morning. Brought in the best hackers and stealth experts. It's full-proof. Care for a demonstration?"

"You know me, Lucius," Bruce answered, as though looking for popcorn for the upcoming show. "Very well, it's right down the hall." Fox motioned the two and led the way.

Dick's curiosity had already been peaked. "So what's the big deal with this security project?"

"You mean he hasn't told you yet?" Fox asked, looking at Bruce in question.

"Ah, well, I didn't want to bore him with what's going on with work." Bruce quickly answered, yet somehow, that playboy mask stayed tightly in place.

"Oh, uh, in that case, it's a top-notch project. When Gotham's City board saw the proto-types, they instantly took a hand at it. So WayneTech sold them the first set to be installed into all of their files, buildings, and such. It's quiet an advancement. Hopefully it will prevent a couple break outs in places like Arkham, though I don't think that Blackgate will need it..." Lucius trailed off in thought.

"So when you say 'firewall' it acts just like the name, right?" Dick asked, bringing Fox back to the here and now.

"Basically yes," The three of them got to the demonstration room and Fox continued, "It's a wall. Nothing can get in or out after it's set up. So it acts both as a cage and also like a gate. Unless proper license is used, files and high security buildings will be impenetrable."

As they watched the demonstration and it's impressive results, Dick further questioned, "Couldn't that be a bad thing?"

"No, no, it can't be misused unless the codes are given to someone untrustworthy. Even then, there's an override system built in that only WayneTech can dismantle and or use. Like it?" Fox asked.

"Can I get it for my laptop?" Dick asked. "You'd never believe how many dollar-eyed girls have found my email address."

"How many what...?" Bruce started.

Fox, however, laughed. "Unfortunately, I don't think this is the type of software you're looking for, Dick."

Apparently over the sudden revelation, Bruce complimented Fox. "This is outstanding, Lucius. I'll call the Mayor and Commissioner Gordon. They'll be thrilled about it. And you'll email me the stats on Firewall and those other projects?"

"Of course, Mr. Wayne." Lucius answered. "Oh, by the way, Detectives Yin and Bennett commented yesterday that you might want to take into consideration some extra security for this project because of Gotham's interest. Apparently, the Mayor mentioned it to Gordon."

"I'll call around. I might have a cousin who does that sort of thing." Bruce mentioned.

"Wait, you have a cousin?' Dick asked.

"Not sure." Bruce pondered it for a moment. "Ah, well, suppose I'll get it done eventually."

"I'm sure you will Mr. Wayne." Fox told him. "You know the way out, I presume?"

"Yes, thank you, Fox; I really appreciate this." Bruce told the genius and Dick realized how much stress this could possibly remove from Bruce's shoulders, "We'll see you around."

"See ya, Fox!" Dick called as he and Bruce walked away.

"Enjoy your break!" Fox called back.

Fox walked back to his office and began pulling up files to send to Bruce. He had to admit, most would say that Bruce wasn't a fantastic boss, but he did genuinely seem interested in what was going on. And goodness knows, they needed this updated security in Gotham. So much so that the crazy 'freaks', as many would call them, might actually stay in Arkham and Blackgate. So the freaks wouldn't have reason to wait for the little drizzle that would turn into a pounding rain. So the freak wouldn't kill the guards and waltz right out and into the open.

Because it seemed to happen everyday.

It was happening right...

Now.

The doors burst open knocking several SWAT members to the ground, unconscious from the impact. The smoke slowly drifted to the sides. There was barely a sound. At least, not until the other SWAT members breathed in the smoke. Someone giggled. Another snickered. Three fell into fits of laughter and more were on the way. They laughed like there was no tomorrow. Like someone had repeated every inside joke they knew and sent them into hysterics. Then they coughed. They couldn't breathe. They tried to stop laughing. But they only stopped when they had passed out and laid on the ground , wide grins plastered onto their faces.

"Aw, why'd you stop?"

Gordon knew this too well. What came next... The insane laughter. The one that laughed as he murdered an entire onslaught of people. As he scalped his best friend. As he robbed a bank and shot his accomplices. He loved to do it so much, he just... had to laugh.

"HAHaHAHahaHaHAHahaHAHahaha!" The Ace of Knaves bounded forward, that insufferable wide grin cemented to his ghastly face, his green hair in a mess of curls and waves, unkempt for so long.

Gordon knew what would happen next. "Joker! You're surrounded, get down on the ground!"

"Surrounded?" Joker asked and he looked around as though playing dumb. "I'm not surrounded, I can just walk over you!"

Gordon didn't want to see what Joker had planned now. The man took out a pair of yo-yos, adjusted them, and began to use them. And by use them, he used them to knock the tranquilizer guns (due to court orders, they couldn't use regular guns on Joker, to many people's dismay) out of the remaining police officers and swing over the cops into the open. How did he even _get_ yo-yos? Gordon looked at Sawyer and Bullock who were both as stunned as he was.

"Sawyer, take a unit out to try to find him! Bullock, get those SWAT members to Gotham General Hospital! They need help fast!" Gordon ordered, "Is anyone at the police station?"

"Flass might be, but Ethan is sir." Yin came forward. "He had to wrap up with the..."

"Call him, tell him to turn Bat-signal on." Gordon interrupted. "I'm not waiting on this one. Flass better not hold him up..."

But it was too late. It almost always was with that one. Joker leaped through the air, using the yo-yos like the mad man that he was. The rain poured down his broken straight jacket.

_This was Gotham._

Finally, he landed on a dilapidated outer staircase. Stepping in through a window, the Joker began to make himself at home when his host spoke.

"It took you long enough."

"Oh don't rush me! You know how much I like to get away from it all in Arkham," Joker brushed off.

_"It's an insane asylum!"_

"And a happy hotel! Don't forget that one." Joker added, hanging up the straight jacket on a hook as though it was a normal business coat. "Besides, you know you're happy to see me."

"Don't kid yourself. I'm no happier to see you than you are of me." Came the depressed sort of moan.

"Ah, come on that's..." Joker stopped when his host turned around in his chair.

He was very handsome. Clean cut, nice shave, neat appearance. He was hideous. The skin on his face threatened to peel off instantly and his hair stuck up as though he had been electrocuted and his clothes looked like that out of a freak show that had been washed in mud. Two-Face glared at him.

"Alright, you got me there, but come on Harv', the night is young in Gotham! Plenty to steal and plunder!" Joker exclaimed.

_"You're an idio."_ Two-Face barked.

"And you're a party-pooper. Doesn't stop me from liking you."

Harvey Dent's eyes narrowed as he reached for a pocket in his jacket, "You don't like me."

Joker smiled. "You're right... I don't!"

He reached out of his pocket and in an instant the two both had loaded guns pointed at each other's heads. How many times had they done this?

"Hee."

_"Well how original is this?"_

"Not very."

The two maniacs looked across the room to see a third party presence. He hid in the shadows and kept his gaze focused on them, not in the least bit intimidated by the Gotham terrorists. Almost as if in some weird comedy, Joker and Two-Face looked at each other and then quickly turned both their guns at the intruder.

"Come on out, Bats, we won't hurt you." Joker teased.

"How flattering, but I'm not the Batman." Their guest stepped forward into the light. "Honestly though, I could have shot you both. What kind of amateurs are you?"

Two-Face wrinkled his nose at the insult, but Joker just laughed in recognition. "You! The guy from Luthor's gig. What's up? I love your threads. Much better in these lines of work."

"Deathstroke the Terminator?" Harvey asked.

"I go by Slade." He told them. "And I'm conducting some business in Gotham."

"Oh! What kind of business?" There was a blank but interested look on Joker's white face, but Two-Face couldn't help but show his hesitancy.

"I'm not disclosing that information. I just want to make a deal with the two of you." Slade said, striding forward and between the two of them.

_"And what can we offer that interests you?"_ Two Face asked.

"Oh, nothing really, except your... rank in this city." Slade answered. "I need the Batman and his partner alive, for the time being."

"And what makes you think we'll agree to that?" Harvey responded.

"Wait, his partner? That doesn't even fall under our territory! The baby bird's in California!" Joker exclaimed.

Two-Face rolled his eyes, _"Forgive him, he hasn't caught up on the latest news."_

"What do you...?" Two-Face threw a paper with the Dynamic Duo on the cover at Joker. "Oh... never mind."

Two-Face directed his attention back to Slade. He didn't like this man. He just didn't. Anyone that the Joker took to instantly was someone to be avoided. He'd heard of Deathstroke. And he didn't like everything that he heard. He was like The Demon's Head. If you didn't have all of the information up front, why trust them?

"You never answered my question." Harvey continued.

"Well, it's not really like I'm here to compromise or negotiate." Slade told him. "I'm here to... reason."

"Reason! Ha!" Joker laughed. "Reason doesn't exactly compute with me."

"What's the opposite of you Joker? Sanity? Or insanity with a driven to preserve humanity?" Slade asked.

"Well that's easy!" Joker replied. "The Bat..."

"The Batman, exactly." Slade finished. "So what happens when you kill the opposition?"

Joker's eyes suddenly narrowed. "You... You! Oh, I like you."

"No more Batman. No more games. No more fun." Slade allowed, voicing the realization, "I'm just asking that you not set your sights on Robin. I'm planning a big game, but we need him alive to play it."

Tapping his chin in mock thought, Joker revealed his teeth. "All right, you win, I like games."

Slade smiled underneath his mask. The easy part was done. He had already known that Joker would never kill Batman. He wanted to let the 'game' be on-going. The point of that was just so Joker didn't feel like he was being outdone or his city would fear someone other than himself more. Now for the hard part. Two-Face.

_"So you want to keep the Dynamic Duo alive. For what purpose? For what 'game'?"_ Two-Face questioned.

"Oh no, it's not a game. It's never a game. I just want your word that you'll keep your distance. Just lay low for the next month or two. I'll make it worth your wild." Slade answered.

These two men both had appearances split down the middle. And both understood the duality of knowledge and character. It was a battle of wits. Slade knew that Two-Face could never turn down a bet. He knew that Two-Face was indeed two people, Two-Face and Harvey Dent. He had to play to each of these two people's needs when the timing was right. It was all about timing.

"Sounds like a intriguing bet." Harvey said in good heart. "Let's flip for it. Scarred, I don't have to do anything. Clean, I'll lay low."

Intriguing was not the best word for Two-Face to describe Slade as. More like a question. Repressing a fear that this man may very well act like Riddler, Two-Face took out the scarred lucky double headed quarter. Placing it on his finger, he was about to flip it when Slade interrupted him.

Oh how he loved to pull all of the strings. "Harvey Dent's first real case was the 'Holiday' killer, was it not?"

Two-Face looked up, _"What do I care?"_

"I'm not flipping for this." Slade announced.

Harvey seethed. "But everyone plays."

"I'm not."

Two-Face's anger finally manifested itself outright. Yeah, he didn't like Slade at all, _"Every. One. Plays."_

"Not the ones who have figured out the Holiday case. I know who was Holiday, Dent. I know it wasn't just Alberto Falcone or you," Slade stated.

"There was Gilda Dent too."

Two-Face's eyes shot up and Joker laughed insanely. "Oh, this is getting good!"

"You leave my wife out of this." Harvey barked.

"Then stay out of harms way." Slade ordered. "I'm going. If I hear anything, see anything from you two that I don't approve of, there will be no games and Gilda won't get that fair trial."

Joker smiled. "Oh, you know how to play your cards, Slade. Any chance we can play again?"

"Perhaps." Slade answered over his shoulder.

Two-Face looked at the mercenary. There was something that just bothered him. Batman and Robin. Batman AND Robin. Robin. There was something that wasn't right here.

_"You're from Jump City, right?"_ He asked.

Slade barely nodded. Robin had been in Jump City. He could tell something wasn't as it seemed. He wasn't here because of Batman. The two appearances couldn't be coincidence. Was there a... grudge? He couldn't tell.

Harvey continued. "You're playing with the big boys now. Robin and his Titans are mere practice compared to the Dark Knight. Are you nervous?"

Slade let out a low chuckle. "Two-Face, Two-Face, Two-Face. I am the 'big boys'."

With that, Slade walked over to the window and dove off the balcony and into the alley way below. Two-Face went to the window and looked out. Not a trace. There was no denying it, Harvey was a bit confounded by Slade's attitude. But then again, Deathstroke was a force to be reckoned with. Going back inside, Joker was squatting on top of a chair, gleefully balancing on the thing that would surely break soon.

"You have to admit, he's good." Joker commented, the grin distinctly wider than normal and his red and yellow eyes wide in expansion.

Two-Face only sneered at his guest while Slade smiled as he held Gotham in his pocket.

-T-

**A/N:** I feel like I had to try to cram a lot of stuff in one chapter. Then again, compared the the rest of the story, it's not that much at all. So did you guys enjoy it? Please Review! Lots of stuff to set in motion in such very little time. But hey, what are you going to do? Robin's in for one heck of a roller coaster ride. Hope you liked it! Later!

Rena

PS. I'm so sorry about Heath Ledger, aren't you? It was very sad...


	11. Chapter 11: Silent Work

**Disclaimer:** Are you kidding me? -Laughs insanely- That's ridiculous! I'd never be able to own Teen Titans or the DCU. I do however own way too many comic issues for my own good.

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm extremely happy right now, want to know why? Well, I went to the book store and low and behold: COMICS! Yes! I love it when that happens. By the way, if any of you have not read Teen Titans Year One yet, go out and start buying the single issues. It's written by Amy Wolfram, a writer from the show, and the art work is incredibly effective in the tone that they're trying to convey. Sorry, there's my rant of the day. Oh, and speaking of which, I have another reference in here from "Identity Crises" done in 2005, a very good read as well, might I add. This chapter's a little bit of everything in all directions, but I think that you'll end up liking it, I hope (I really hope!). Anyways, I'll be quiet now and let you continue reading: "Chapter Eleven: Silent Work"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Eleven: Silent Work**

"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. Can you repeat that?"

Cyborg looked from side to side at his teammates and gulped, "Uh, Red X is staying in Titans Tower?"

"Alright... I'm going to ask you this as calmly as I can. Now, **_WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'RED X IS STAYING IN TITANS TOWER'?!?!?!_**" Robin yelled over the communication link.

All four of the Titans shrank into tiny chibis. This is what they had all been afraid of, but it was what Red X had been anticipating the most.

"Yep, and get used to it kid, 'cause I like living here. Beats my place anyways," Red X said into the small camera.

However, Beast Boy forcefully pushed him to the side so that Robin could now see all five of them.

Robin sighed and somehow managed to answer calmly, "Hate to break it to you X, but that's up to the _five_ of us once we finish a little conference."

"Five of us, what do you..." Red X didn't get to finish his sentence as Raven sent him back to the lock down room.

They all knew that Robin wouldn't like this. And Robin had been afraid that something like this would happen. What else could possibly go wrong while he was gone? Immediately the two sides erupted. Cyborg and Raven had paid heed to the guilt trips Red X had given, but Beast Boy and Starfire complained of Red X's... um, imperfections. Their strongest arguments were as follows:

"I don't know man, I mean, he's not really hurting anybody and BB and I have been keeping him in line and after what he did for us at Zenith's..." Robin let out a sigh of understanding, but felt this was a pointless argument.

"Dude! I want him out! You know how much of a prankster he is? I mean, he's stealing all of my best jokes, not to mention that he's being perfect to Rae and Cy only..." Robin rolled his eyes at the changelings complaints as he wasn't surprised.

"Robin! I insist that you come here personally and throw this no-gooder out! I turn my back for one minute in the room of laundry and he is going through my garments and apparel!" The Boy Wonder felt an awkward knot of repulsion form in his stomach and hoped that his face didn't show it.

"Look, it's not too much of a big deal. He's just acting like a roommate that we just happen to have to keep an eye on." How he wished that he could somehow not agree to that.

All four Titans looked at their leader on the screen. His word was final. And Red X had given them good information... This is the part where he hated the fact that he had to be fair.

"Alright, Red X can stay. Bring him in here, though." Robin told them.

While Starfire and Beast Boy looked as though he had just lit a nuke, Raven teleported Red X in again, "Geez! You can't just let me out the normal way? Man, it's..."

"X," Robin spoke to the only masked teen there, "You want to stay? Fine. You can stay. But if I hear one word about you making life unbearable for any of the Titans, you're out on the streets again and I won't vouch for you for jail time in terms of Zenith's... and you're not allowed to go through Starfire's laundry either!"

The Titans all glared at Red X indignantly as he shrugged "What? You can't say you didn't expect that from me."

Starfire eyes lit ablaze, "You... you... Rwudishawmad floqnard drazcap..."

The other Titans slowly backed away from Starfire as she began to yell in her native tongue. It was always a little scary when she did that. Raven turned back to Robin as the others watched.

"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on him." Raven assured.

"You mean, _you_ will?" Robin asked as he put a hand over his masked eyes and rubbed them.

"Duh, you just concentrate on Gotham. Leave this buffoon to us." Raven said.

"I'd trade anytime. The buffoon here is a serial-killing crazed clown." Robin responded.

Raven sighed as both signals terminated. There was nothing she could do about it, really. Robin knew that. But it still made him angry. And tired. At least Bruce wasn't here. He was out at that Thompson lady's place and if he was lucky, Bruce would never know. There were only a few topics that Batman didn't know much about and they included Red X, for obvious reasons. Red X was a mistake. His mistake. One he didn't want Bruce to know about. As far as Batman knew, Red X was a person who only did things when they benefitted him and his belt ran on xenothuim, which was good enough for Robin.

Sighing, Robin got up as he heard the Batmobile screech down the cavern floors and into the center of the Batcave. He didn't even have to turn around to hear Batman coming over with samples of the now decimated Thompson residence. It was becoming a bit of a sore spot for them. It was something they didn't need.

"How's your team handling Jump?" he questioned.

"Good enough." Robin answered stiffly. "Anything new with Thompson's case?"

"I couldn't find any bone samples. Even cremated, bone fragments often remain..."

"I know."

Batman looked to the side and Robin glanced down apologetically for interrupting, but only out of respect.

"I'm hoping to find some fragments, though, in these samples." Batman continued.

"Wasn't there a lot of wreckage?" Robin asked, "Couldn't the bones have been moved...?"

"They haven't cleared the site and I looked." Batman answered, ending that idea.

Robin sat down again. Fine. Since he wasn't needed, he'd just...

"Robin," Batman called out and Robin stopped his motion.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Do you have any theories as to who could be behind these disappearances?" Batman asked.

"You mean from Jump?" Robin inquired.

"Yes."

Robin found himself a bit tongue tied. He did. But not really. And he didn't like the ideas that he had come up with. Worse yet, he didn't want to tell Batman about them.

"Uh, sort of. There's not exactly any real, uh, Joker out there so to speak..." Robin avoided the question.

"This isn't the Joker's work, though. You didn't answer my question." Batman scolded. Yes, he had just scolded him. And Batman didn't seem to mind it, either.

But Robin did. "Look, there's no one who really fits this description. The only superpowers that could even possibly pull something like this off wouldn't because this doesn't help them. There's no way that it could, either."

Robin stopped. His mind had caught hold of an idea. A person who could be doing this. He felt his chest involuntarily tighten and his breathing threaten to become irregular. He fought to keep his expression the same. He just couldn't stand the idea. Slade was... gone. He should be gone. He wanted him to be gone... And besides, Slade wanted to destroy Jump. These murders out here couldn't affect Jump in that way. These people had no connections to Jump City. Robin breathed a calm sigh of relief.

Batman eyed Robin searchingly then turned back to the samples. Yes. He believed his ward. They always had that ability. That unspoken trust in what each other said. And if either of them didn't mention something, it was for good reason. If such knowledge was ever needed, they trusted that the other would tell them. So although he left it at that, he hoped that they could get back to this subject again. It was one of two essential questions: "Who could do it?" and "Who benefits?" But right now that wasn't the main issue. Clara Thompson's death was. And the Joker's escape from Arkham.

"Want me to try finding some leads on Joker?" Robin asked.

Batman only nodded and watched from the corner of his eye as Robin ran off to Gotham as words were left unsaid. Business came and went. Gotham's skyscrapers towered over the city-goers below who cowered under their umbrellas. The Monorail train ran above their heads thundering loudly down the loud bobbing of iron against steel. Cars drove by spraying water into the air and thoroughly soaking those unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. No, no one was in a good mood. It seemed like it was always like that in Gotham. The hum of an engine roared as it came closer and if pedestrians were lucky enough, they would have gotten a glance of the R-Cycle and it's occupant streaking past them.

Robin finally came to a quick stop at a light. He wasn't really trying to look inconspicuous. He figured that being dressed like a traffic light had thrown that ability when in a brightly lit area out the window anyway. And he was definitely in a bright area. Shops don't close just because there's a little bit of rain. That's why they're INSIDE. Unlike him. So while neon lights flashed along side and street lights above showed off their lack-luster splendor, Robin took the opportunity to let out a sigh. He liked going on patrol alone. Especially in Gotham. It had been his hometown since he was eight, so why shouldn't he?

It was kind of calming to people watch in vignettes like these, too. He liked looking out at people without a worry. They were all so different in the city. There was a guy in a suit running to his car. There was a waitress who had just gotten off work and would be walking quickly home in the rain without an umbrella. There were two kids holding their parent's hands as they turned the corner. The little girl smiled up at her mother. The boy looked around, bored, until he saw Robin on his bike.

The light turned green.

Robin revved the engine and shot off. He didn't get to enjoy these moments for very long, and he'd gotten used to it. He followed the Monorail system. Passing Wayne Tower, he shot around it and raced through the streets behind it that lead to Wayne Aerospace, Wayne Industries, WayneTech and many Wayne subsidiaries. Normally he wouldn't go by there, but Joker had a reputation for liking to play with dangerous "toys". Both he and Batman had access to the Wayne Enterprises' security, but that doesn't mean that being nearby wouldn't help.

He stopped as he came up to Wayne Chemicals. There were several trucks nearby with Wayne's stamp on them. All closed save for three. The lights were off and the building looked deserted. Robin watched the sparkling rain for a moment. For some reason, Robin shook his head. He just knew that the Joker wasn't here. But still, something didn't seem... right. Right. Bright...

Robin whipped around to see several lights in WayneTech on when they shouldn't be. Robin leaped off the R-Cycle and raced to the building while he thanked Bruce in his head that he had a security override feature card still in his belt. There was only one thing on his mind. Project Firewall. This was so bad. It took him less than two minutes, but when he got up to the holding department there was... no one. But there had to...

The sound of footsteps above alerted Robin to his guests. Running to the elevators, Robin forced the doors of one that was not in use. He didn't have to look very far before he saw and heard the elevator that was being used by the trespassers. Climbing upwards, the Boy Wonder gradually was able to hear snippets of the conversation.

"Careful, don't drop that!"

"Shh, I'm no moron, moron."

"Who you callin' a moron?"

"Will you two shut it? Not making this going any faster. And with that freak out there..."

"He's not coming here, will you stop that? We've dealt with worse."

"Oh yeah, _that_ much worse." The sarcastic comment came.

"Let's just get this thing going. I still don't want to stay..."

The elevator started downward. Robin smirked. Amateurs. Throwing a small electrical breaker down onto the moving elevator, he smiled as the elevator stopped dead, stuck.

"Who.. what was that?"

"You idiot."

"I didn't do nothin', though."

"Well you must have done something 'cause..."

_**CLANG!**_

Robin landed on top and ripped off the top escape shaft. The three startled men yelled and reached for their guns, but it was too late as Robin easily threw three bolas to trap the thieves.

"Why you little..." Their leader began once he recognized their downfall was due to Robin.

"Look, I can either gag you or not, but I'm really not in the mood." Robin told them. He turned on his communicator, "Batman, you there?"

_"What's going on at WayneTech?"_

"Robbery, I got them all trapped in the third elevator. I'm going to send them down till the police arrive." Robin told him.

_"What were they after?"_

Robin knelt down and looked at the large box. He looked around trying to find a name or a tag or something to identify it with before realizing it was probably on the bottom. As he lifted it, Robin could only pay attention to how heavy this thing was. That was unusual...

"Got it, Project.. Can't read it," Robin asked, "What's this?"

_"Another of Fox's projects probably, have the cops take it into custody for the time being. It's most likely only a prototype."_ With that, Robin heard static.

Great. This meant two things. One, it meant that Bruce had way too many projects for him to keep track of. And two, it meant that he'd be here all night silently wondering why if Bruce has Project Firewall and it's done, why on earth he hasn't actually installed it. It was quiet as he got down to the main room of WayneTech and still there were no cops nearby or sirens in the distance. He'd caught these thugs fifteen minutes ago. Robin hit his head against the wall. Great. Just great.

And who knew what this would do to WayneTech tomorrow? Bruce would probably be forced to got to an emergency press conference and, already being tired from the previous night's antics, would not be in any real mood to deal with any irritable mistakes or slow actions. The TV would be ablaze with the petty news all the way to Metropolis. And that it did. Dr. Westfield watched it the next day while he was in his office. He was expecting a visit from the boss, who would be there any...

"Dr. Westfield, you have a report for me?"

Westfield gulped slightly and turned around to see his provider and employer.

"Um, uh, yes Mr. Luthor, with the available materials, we've made much progress regarding the weapon." Dr. Westfield reported.

Luthor nodded and gestured to the door. "Care to show me?"

Westfield kept fiddling with his tie and lab coat, like it was out of place, but nodded none the less. It was uncomfortably quiet. While he would never admit it out loud, Westfield was not, er, accustomed to working with Luthor. The man had a way of having control over every situation and Westfield was not comfortable with it.

"So, what's the weapon so far?" He asked.

"Well, we're still missing those two major elements. We're attempting to replicate the sonic cannon, but it's a slow process, considering what it has to handle. " Westfield said, waiting for Luthor's comments.

There were none. "That's our primary focus as of right now. Once we have the power supply and the minerals necessary to operate the weapon, all we'll need to do is latch on that final component that you promised."

Luthor finally nodded in acknowledgment. "And you'll have it."

While Westfield didn't like to push Luthor, he had to this time, "Excuse me, Mr. Luthor, but when will we have it, er, exactly? The sooner the better."

"Of course, Dr. Westfield, of course. I know. I'm currently trying to..." Luthor sighed before continuing, as though worn out, "negotiate it's arrangements. I still have yet to actually attain it."

"You mean, you don't own it sir?" Dr. Westfield asked, surprised.

"Never assume anything, Doctor. The government would never authorize LexCorp's development of such a thing. So unfortunately, I can only buy it." Lex told the man.

Stepping into a large room, Lex got his first look at the massive object. Several pieces were obviously missing, but apart from that, it appeared to be fantastic. Much of which was his own design, Luthor recognized and was pleased with. He only wished that it could have been a bit more... deployable. It was not the fastest piece of equipment. Hopefully however, it wouldn't need to be. But despite all of this, pleasure was dampened. He felt a quiet rage begin to burn inside. This was taking way too long. He should have never...

_Briinnngggg!!! Briinnngggg!!! Briinnngggg!!!_

Lex looked down at his phone and the caller ID. Perfect timing. "Dr. Westfield, this looks magnificent, but could you give me just five minutes?"

Westfield's brief pride was smothered and he humbly left the room, leaving Luthor in the room, with no security cameras or recorders or interferences.

Flipping open the phone, Lex was about to begin when an enraged voice spoke over the phone, _"You don't think I don't know what you're doing Luthor?!?"_

Unaccustomed to such an address, Luthor responded, "You can't tell me you're surprised, Deathstroke. You realize it's been a month."

_"And it may very well be another month, but your hired antics last night has only complicated my job. You realize that their Project Firewall is now being pushed ahead of schedule to be installed?"_ Slade asked.

"I believe I might have heard something." Lex answered passively.

But Slade was tired of Luthor's casual attitude. He wasn't to be double-crossed by anyone and that included Luthor. He should know that after what Slade had done to Trigon. Perhaps the man hadn't heard about that incident. Maybe he should enlighten him. Sitting down on the couch as the fire crackled in the fireplace, Slade continued.

"Well, if you're going to be like that Luthor, I'll just have to take it up a notch." Slade answered.

"I guess you will." Luthor smiled. He liked what he was hearing.

Not for long. "I guess I'll just have to anonymously tip off the Man of Steel to Cadmus Labs."

Standing up, Luthor shouted. "You what?"

"Angry, Alexander?" Slade chuckled, "We're on the same page then. Let's just not aggravate each other further, agreed?"

Luthor fumed. He didn't like Slade. Never did. But right now he could only loath the man and his negotiation skills. At least Slade had given him a time frame, though. At least he could hold Slade to that. At least. Lex sighed.

"You want something more than my money, don't you Slade?" When he didn't hear a response, Luthor continued. "Fine, but if you don't finish by November first, you're through. Deathstroke will never be a reliable name again."

Slade gave little heed to the warning and in good nature responded. "Thank you, Mr. Luthor. I'll keep that in mind."

With that, he hung up, smiling. It was still the first week of October. He had at least three weeks. But for Luthor, he could only imagine that this was going to be a very, long month.

-T-

A good week passed after the attempted robbery at WayneTech and still they were coming up dry on any real leads. In fact, Robin was starting to wonder if there really wasn't any other threats to worry about. Batman was constantly working, trying to solve a seemingly unsolvable puzzle. Robin had to hand it to him, Batman was dedicated far more than he was and that was something his friends would say is impossible. One thing that Robin hated about this type of work was that there was always a possibility that none of these crimes were related. Or rather, some crimes were connected and others were not. And that was just another problem in and of itself.

Batman though, he just worked. He didn't think about how hard it was, mostly because he had trained himself not to. He had trained himself to not choke on the scenes before him. He had trained himself not to be disturbed by criminal acts. Robin, well, he could do that. But sometimes it was better to be human. Such as now.

The Dynamic Duo stood in front of the debris from Edwin Beagle's apartment-townhouse, still smoking from the recent fire.

Robin felt a chill from the cold soot lightly hitting his face. He glanced over when he saw Batman move forward and begin to take samples and pictures. It was his fourth crime scene of this nature. It was Robin's first as he hadn't gone to Clara Thompson's. It was just bad timing. And now was good timing. Good timing to actually help Batman collect samples instead of waiting for the report to come in.

Bending down when he found an interesting spot, Robin began to carefully mark and take samples. It was amazing what he could now do without thinking about it. A piece of wood was in the way. Robin grabbed the wreckage only to drop it as soon as he picked it up. The hot embers were still fresh. Soot and burnt material sprang into his face and Robin felt himself cough and choke on the cloud of dust.

Batman looked and walked over. Stretching out his hand, he was shocked as Robin quickly hit it away. Not batted -- hit away. When Robin turned and looked up, there was an expression of obvious discomfort and... humiliation? Batman couldn't fathom what for. It wasn't too far from batting someone away and it wasn't unnatural to bat something away when you're not expecting it. He didn't get much time to analyze it further as Robin quickly muttered 'sorry, didn't, sorry', stood up, and walked into another area. The night was young. The lights from the block kept the area lit well enough and it was easy enough to see when they turned on the night-vision in their masks.

Robin finally turned to Batman after about thirty minutes, "I'm going to check the roof areas, see if there's anything interesting from an aerial perspective."

Batman didn't say anything, but nodded. They'd be going soon, anyway. Robin might as well do a brief check. Climbing to the top of a nearby apartment, Robin clicked away pictures of the area. There was no doubt about it, he was a little bored. No, it wasn't that he didn't want to be doing this. He did. He wanted to help. It was never that. It was just that the company always set the mood...

There was a quick flash of movement in the corner of his eye. Running in the direction of the movement, Robin looked around and soon caught a glimpse of more movement. A figure that he couldn't make out. And they were running. So he did, too. Sprinting forward, Robin bounded after the person. They were quick, hard to follow, but he managed.

"Stop!" He yelled out, but that didn't exactly help as the figure didn't listen.

Finding himself on an unfamiliar rooftop, Robin lost sight of the mysterious person. Climbing above a chimney, Robin searched desperately for anything. Something moved, over there, behind the ventilation shaft. Stealthily, Robin jumped down and walked around the corner. Taking out bola and a bo-staff, Robin braced himself. In an instant, he swung around the corner and netted his captor with ease, but it was not who he was expecting (if he had expected anyone, that is).

"You, why I oughta..."

"Catwoman?"

"Well I guess so, considering I'm wearing a Cat-suit. What's the big idea?" She asked, obviously displeased at her current situation.

"Why didn't you stop when I called out?" Robin asked back.

"You never told me. I've been heading up from the eastern section, I wasn't running down south," She told him.

"You mean, you didn't go by the Beagle house?" Robin questioned, slowly realizing that somehow, he'd probably gotten...

"No, wrong person, kid. As hard as it might be to believe, but I was minding my own business," Catwoman told him indignantly and gestured to the bola. "Now would you mind?"

Robin swallowed some of his pride, bent down, and then released Catwoman from the bola seeing that Batman would do it if he didn't. "Sorry. You didn't see anyone go by here by chance though, did you?"

"I wasn't really looking out for anything like that, suppose I should, though. It's getting ridiculous out there." She said, stretching slightly.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

They both turned to see Batman coming out of the shadows; it was really no surprise to either of them either. "Joker's acting like he's still in Arkham from what I've heard. Not doing anything, the only thing he's done is robbing the robbers of this city, which they can't reveal to the cops."

"Anything else?" Robin asked.

"Other than that, there's just been some heated tempers. But when does that not happen?" Catwoman scoffed.

Batman's eyes narrowed, but Robin knew that it wasn't out of annoyance. Only out of consideration of the possibilities. The man nodded.

"Is that all?" He inquired.

"Two-Face in particular isn't very happy at the moment. But it's not much of a big deal." She flashed a luscious smile his way. Batman stiffened, but glanced briefly at Robin at the mention of Two-Face. Still, no one noticed.

He asked, his voice gruff, but bordering on the casual side. "And how have you been?"

"I've been better." She answered, slowly walking forward. "But you know me, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I'm sure," Batman replied without much emotion, but still there was some. "Robin and I have to get back to work."

Catwoman glanced at Robin, as though disappointed. He looked away from them both. It was funny how they both didn't exactly want the Duo to go back to work.

"Alright then, I'll see you two around." She called, as she scampered off the rooftop and down below into the alleys.

Batman walked over to the side, but he didn't expect to see her. Robin only looked back at the smoky scene half a block down and back behind him. He'd been sure that there had been someone. So sure... A chilling thought came to his mind and he shivered. Jumping as he felt someone's presence behind him, Robin caught his breath.

"Care to enlighten me about what just happened in detail?" Batman asked.

Robin shook it off and walked back towards the Beagle residence. "Nothing happened. I thought I saw something. I was wrong that's all."

Batman let Robin leap off the building without further explanation. But something wasn't quite right. Robin had admitted he was wrong. Robin didn't do that easily. Unless he was doing it to lie. He'd given Robin a lot of lee-way. A lot of space and a lot of freedom because Robin was not a person to be caged. But something was wrong. And he knew it. Batman turned back to where Robin had been staring. Was Robin really just seeing things? He couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. But then again, Robin could be acting like this to make up for the lack of distance of a continent between them. Teenagers. They were a mystery. Unfortunately, one he didn't think he'd ever quite be able to solve.

Following Robin's lead, the Dark Knight chased after his Squire, not knowing that someone else was, metaphorically speaking, doing the same. Slade smiled as he watched the two vigilantes run across the rooftops and in between the light and shadows. He could have left earlier and not have been there at all, but it had been too long. He was tired of watching Robin on the screens of hidden cameras. And seeing the boy in person was... refreshing.

Still perfect. Still growing. Still maturing. Still, there was much more to do.

Slade smiled as he let out a low chuckle. Robin was taking care of himself. And by the looks of it, Robin hadn't forgotten him at all. Maybe he did take some deluded sense of enjoyment at the boy's expense, but it didn't exactly hurt Robin either, so it wasn't really a concern to him. The rush was way too much fun to ignore. Landing below, Slade walked down the dark alleyway and disappeared into the shadows, never to emerge.

He was having a much better night than Robin was. Robin felt like Batman was speaking less and less. No, that wasn't right. Batman was talking. Giving orders. More and more. And he couldn't help but hate it. Did the man think that he was incompetent? That he couldn't take care of himself? A mere hindrance? That's what it had been the last time. But Robin would never say anything. It was a petty thing, the orders, and he was probably just too used to being the one giving them. He just kept telling himself that. Somehow though, it never stuck. So instead he tried to think that they'd be finished in maybe a week. Then he'd be home in Titans Tower with his friends instead of having to stay in this rotting town that they called a city.

In the cave, Dick changed, discouraged and downhearted. Going up to his room, he found a small tray with a brownie and milk that Alfred had left him. He guessed the butler had figured that he'd need a pick up. Breaking off a piece, Dick sat down in his blue pajamas and picked up a small book that he sometimes left out on the dresser. Opening the lock, he flipped through the pictures of his friends and the people that he had met. But it was mostly pictures of the Titans. There were some Justice League members and a couple relatively cool people that he had met through a variety of circumstances. Still though, it was the Titans that focused on.

It was calming after a long, hard day. He felt exhausted. And no one could blame him. He put the book down and pressed on the lock. Putting it away and getting into bed, Dick found himself still sleepless. He rolled around. Tossed the sheets on and off of himself in effort to find comfort. However, he couldn't. His thoughts were restless. Finally, he threw off the sheets and left his room.

Inside their private gym, Dick tapped up his bare hands and feet, chalked them, and jumped up onto the wires above. He felt himself begin to work up a sweat even though he had just taken a shower. Energy encased his body and it wasn't from the brownie. Jumping down, he raced over to the mats and began to do sit-ups, push ups, stretches. He had to do it. He just had to. He couldn't bring himself to stop. He couldn't fail. Never fail...

The sound of a person's voice echoed in the hallways. Bruce had come out around four, but the sounds in the normally quiet manor had surprised him. Following the sounds, he found himself close to the gym. The door was slightly ajar and he could hear a rhythmic 'hut, hut, hut' coming from inside. Looking inside, his eyes widened as he saw Dick, his pajamas soaked with sweat.

He opened the door, unsure of what to do in this situation, but still, he had to do something, he guessed. "Dick?"

Dick glanced over and dropped to the ground, swaying slightly on his feet. "Yeah?"

His ward's voice spoke volumes. The boy was obviously tired, barely able to stand up straight, "What are you doing?"

Dick shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

There was a short pause, but right before Bruce could speak, Dick cut in. "I'm going to bed now."

Staggering almost, Dick swiftly made his way out of the gym and around the corner to the staircase. Bruce would have followed, but he didn't think that Dick wanted that. And he was right. Dick didn't want that. He couldn't stand another order. Another guideline. Another scolding. Another chance to disappoint Bruce. Bruce eventually turned around to walk the opposite way to his own room.

Was he worried about what was going on? Not over the top, no. Dick had handled himself for over two years without his help. Yet, he was much more concerned about Dick's behavior. Maybe it was another one of those rebellious cycles. It was giving him a headache to think about it. So he did what he had trained himself to do. Make a mental note and come back to it later. It was what he knew. It was all he felt he knew. It also was one of the few things that made him feel guilty about who he was. Guilty. Yes. What a wonderful way to end the day.

-T-

**A/N:** A bit of a serious ending, but I promise, it's important. Still, I hope you liked the chapter. I will say one thing about the next chapter. I'm already in love with it. So I'll try to see if I can get it out sooner than normal. In any case, please review! And again, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Later!

Rena


	12. Chapter 12: Tragic Conflict

**Disclaimer:** As if the fact that I can't go live in NYC or San Diego doesn't depress me enough, now you have to shove the fact that I don't own Teen Titans or the DCU in my face. Man, hasn't anyone taken the sympathy class 101? Now let me go pout.

**Author's Note:** Alright, well, when we last left off, I told you that I was especially excited for this chapter. Lot's of development here, like most chapters, but in a... different way. Like a heavy hitting sort of way, but a very good way. Oh, and there's another reference that I should mention. Once again, "Robin: Year One" will be referenced in this chapter. This is such a big and IMPORTANT chapter. Did I mention that this was an important chapter? I did? Oh, okay, just making sure. Also, I want to say thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed this story thus far, and actually, anyone who's read or reviewed anything I've written. I'm in a really good mood right now. Anyways, I'll stop typing on and on and on right here and let you read this. "Chapter Twelve: Tragic Conflict"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Tragic Conflict**

The images moved like a toxic gas. This was rare enough as it was, to dream. It couldn't have been more deliberately mesmerizing too. The worst types of dreams are often the ones that recall memories. They were either so good that one longs for them again or so bad that one wishes to never remember them. Unfortunately this was the latter.

He could see the flashes of red and white hitting Harvey's face as his face tore apart and in two. The insane look in that eye. The one with no sympathy, only tortured and repressed anger. It was so different from those nights when he and Jim had played cards. It just wasn't fair how that happened. And for several years, sympathy was all he felt for the man. That all changed, though, the night that he realized that Harvey had died a long time ago. No, not that night. A different night. With the double gallows...

Bruce turned to his left and right, the blackness engulfing him. He heard what they were saying. The conversation repeating itself. Scarred, uncared, tales, heads. The brown rope tightened around his neck as he struggled, his normally toned muscles somehow weak and useless to his use.

Everyone plays.

He heard a lever being pulled and a splash below. He was above water, but not in it. The gag and blindfold were ripped off. Harvey was looking through some files. He got up from his desk at the sight of him.

"Where've you been? The signal's been on for an hour or so..."

"I..."

"I got all A's on my report card, Bruce," Dick ran up behind him, holding up the report card proudly.

"That's..."

_"AGHHHHHH!!!"_

Batman turned to see Harvey's face, bitter with anger and heavily damaged. Uncontrollable hate and a longing, to make him, _him_, suffer slowly and painfully. Robin stood in front of two twins, his hands tied behind his back. Again, a thick black smoke entrenched itself in the air, as Lady Gotham rose out of the ground only to be split in half down the middle as a silver spark streaked down in the air. The sound of metal hitting bones, a human body, a person.

_"He punked out on Harvey."_

A nasty punch to the face. He only saw the flash of impact. Bruce saw Two-Face show a flame to the boy's face from a lighter. He grabbed the boy's scalp with his hair.

"I wanted you to know. It wasn't me that killed you. It was the Bat."

Another whack. And another. And another. He felt himself trying to move. Trying to break his own bonds so that he could stop that sound. Never before had his stomach ever be so sick or his hands shake. He couldn't stop it. He kept trying, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. Couldn't...

I bolt up, wide awake. My breathing is fast like I'd just sprinted ten miles. My heart pounds in my chest while I try to put to use one of the many calming techniques that I've learned over the years. But it takes a while. That was disturbing. No, troubling. That nightmare of that one night... I close my eyes and lean over slightly, however my eyes open just as soon as I do. I see Dick's badly injured face looking at me, one of his eyes barely open because it was so swollen.

I don't know what I _feel_ first. Often I hear behind my back that I act like I have no emotions. Sometimes I even hear it because someone yells it into my face. And yet... they might as well be right. Emotions are not a foreign thing; I just prefer not to deal with them, talk about them, think about them. They get in the way of this line of work.

Alfred has never said that I have no emotions, though. If there's one person that I should listen to, it's Alfred. He's told me to have heart. I think I've got that one down. I feel it every time I'm out on the streets and see all of the civilians going about their daily life. But that shouldn't count, as it's become almost a numb feeling over the years. I originally started to ignore it when I first started and now it's almost like it's not even there. Still...

It did come back.

I shake my weary head, briefly closing my eyes only to see Harvey, once my friend, now my enemy as he brought the baseball bat down. I'm tired. But that nightmare didn't help my limited amount of sleep. That feeling, I felt it again years later. Years after I had started this crusade. It was after Zucco's work at the circus. Dick had come to live in the manor. He was quiet, didn't say much. I didn't press him. Then again, Alfred would tell me that I wasn't around long enough to press Dick to talk. And by luck, by chance, Dick discovered the cave. I wasn't mad, it was bound to happen eventually.

And that changed everything.

That original costume of his was so much so his own. His own design, his own creation. And I let him wear the bright colors. Those vivid colors – in honor of Mary and John. If they could have seen what Dick was doing, I'd bet my life that they'd be so proud of him. As Robin, Dick did extraordinary things. He became an amazing fighter, a skilled fighter, an intellectual at his young age, completing middle school early on and the same with high school to help open up time for later on in his life.

He was so dedicated. And happy. My word, was he happy. Before Dick, every night for me had been filled mostly with screams and shrieks and angry or scared voices. Now there was a new sound, laughter. It somehow made the burden... lighter. I had always cared. Always vowed to protect others. To keep them safe. To keep them from experiencing the same type of pain that I had felt so long ago, when agony and pain became so overwhelming in my chest, but not as much as it was in my Mother's and Father's. The blood on my hands had been warm, fresh, and lifeless. I had failed to be there, to be able to do anything though, for Dick. And yet, he never held such a thing against me.

He just smiled.

He was so easily taught. Everything came to him naturally. I took it for granted. I let him come out and do things that maybe I shouldn't have. I wasn't listening to my common sense or Gordon's expressed concerns.

I remember him once asking me, "I'm confused. You vowed to protect the innocent and yet you have an adolescent tagging along. It's been months now. He's still here. I don't get it. Is he your son?"

I had answered that he was my partner in fighting this war. I could never take John's place in Dick's heart, so I've never tried. Gordon was expressing concern about Harvey Dent. About Two-Face and how he didn't think that Robin should be allowed to tag along. I asked Robin to sit this one out. He didn't.

He went on and that's where those images of my nightmare kept coming from. In Harvey's now sickened mind, he targeted the only thing that he saw that I cared about: Robin. And he hit hard. I remember the rage I felt. The guilt. The worry. The panicking feeling that grabbed my throat as I watched, trying to free myself so that I could stop him. I did. But Robin... Dick was so... hurt. I remembered hearing bones break and seeing blood escaping wounds, some from bruises so large they had broken the skin.

When Robin woke up, it was from a nightmare, but he instantly smiled again, anticipating the next patrol. I benched him. I didn't know what else to do. Perhaps the experience was more traumatizing for me than him. Robin was always weary of Two-Face after that, but for me, it left an unimaginable scar. I couldn't let something like that happen again. Ever.

Normally my nightmares are of the night my parents died. But still, there are others of a lot of things. I worry. A lot. Maybe too much. But better than not at all. I realized one thing that night. I couldn't allow for such a mistake to be made like that. It was my fault such a thing happened. I was to blame. It wasn't right to assume otherwise. It still isn't.

I try to lie back down. I need to actually get some good rest, despite how unlikely it is. A knock on the door...

"Yes?" I asked groggily.

The door opens and I gaze through squinted eyes to see Dick coming in silently. He's so different compared to most kids his age. They're thinking about the next football game or what they'd do after school. Most kids his age didn't worry about what he did. Guilt also sinks into my heart knowing that it is my fault that Dick had so much on his shoulders.

"Bruce?" He asked, almost timidly, "You awake?"

"Barely. What'd you need?" I question, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Uh, well, nothing," Nothing, that's annoy... "Just, I was wondering when you wanted to head out tonight."

He's already thinking about it?

"I can go out early if you want. I don't really need to be anywhere..." Dick pauses and waits for me to answer.

I sit up and stretch; I'm not going to be able to get to sleep anyway. "If you want. I might be down in a couple hours or so. I canceled my meetings for today."

Dick nods. He doesn't say anything. For the past week, especially since the Beagle incident, he's been avoiding me, or rather my gaze. Being human, I am liable to make up excuses. I can't tell where he's really looking. He has a mask on. But now, as Dick, it's painfully apparent. While he may not want to stare or look at me, I watch him. In two years it's amazing how much can change. He's matured a lot. Changed a lot. Mostly for the good, but something's missing.

Dick faces the window where a little bit of light shines out between the curtains and onto his face, the ends of his mouth long and down. That's it. It's his smile. I have yet to see it once since that one argument years ago. The one where he angrily stormed out, doing exactly what he said he'd do, go across the country to get away from here. From Gotham. From Wayne Manor. From his home. From...

"I guess, I'll go, sorry if I woke you up," he mutters.

His moments are slow, as though he's in some sort of slump. I want him to smile so badly. I know he can. Alfred told me all the time how happy he seemed to be in Jump. And yet, while I know it's nothing big, nothing important, I can't help but feel it's important.

Dick stops and turns to look at me, sort of, no eye contact. "I think I'll, uh, go to the graves today..."

At the mention of the graveyard, my eyes focus on him. It's unusual to visit the graves when it wasn't on the anniversary or on one of their birthdays. Why he wants to, I can't fathom. Maybe just to be closer...

But I nod slowly. "Alright."

Dick keeps his eyes cast down as he whispers a 'thank you' and leaves the room nearly as quietly as he came in. I sigh. He's grown so much since I first met him. Sixteen, geez. He was nine, or was it eight? Doesn't matter much, but he's certainly changed. I contemplate over where he had gone off to. That soul that always seemed ready for anything. The Robin that I introduced to Gotham.

That I thrust into such danger so thoughtlessly. He'll never leave. It's not in Dick's nature to leave, or Robin's. Or Robin's... My fist clenches. Gordon was right. I vowed to protect the innocent. And I still let Dick become something in this world of masks and names and titles. Where criminals don't care if you've got a wife at home or if you're someone's son. The guilt won't leave. I know Robin wants to do this. He told me before that it was his choice to take the opportunity. I never forced him to become Robin.

But I gave him the option.

If anything ever again happens to him, it's my fault. And I don't want that to happen. I don't _ever_ want that to happen. I remember carrying him out of the Batmobile and having to voice one of my own fears. That he was dying. I can't relive it. I couldn't force him to relive it either. I fight to protect civilians. I fight to protect the defenseless. I fight the injustice that plagues all those living. I fight to protect those I know, that I care about.

I hope that John and Mary know that I'm trying. I'm really trying... I'm just not perfect. I can only hope that my mistakes will not harm Dick. That they won't have unfathomable repercussions beyond my mortal abilities to repair. I'm Gotham's Batman, and I am as clueless as an eight year old boy alone in Crime Alley.

-T-

The morning was calm, a bit chilly as October's air ran across his bare hands without his gloves. He pulled his jacket tighter while with one hand, held two small flowers from an arrangement that Alfred had bought a couple days ago. He wouldn't mind though, not for something like this.

Walking up the steps to the top of the hill, Dick opened the gate, letting it creak. He didn't know exactly why he was going up here. Maybe it was just because it had been so hard lately. It was so much harder than it had ever been. And being with them, or rather close to them, it made things easier. Or at least it left the illusion that it was. Death seemed to be such a permanent thing. But Dick could believe that his parents were still with him, somehow. Wherever they were, he hoped that they were somewhere safe. And happy.

He walked past the gravestones. There were not many, most of them were Bruce's ancestors, all the way up to Solomon Wayne even. But there were two people who didn't belong to Bruce. They belonged to him. Finding the two stones, engraved with the names, Dick knelt down between them, the wind whipping his neat hair out of place. Taking the flowers out from the safety of his jacket, Dick placed one on each resting place.

He shivered. It was hard to imagine that six feet below him, his parents' bodies rested. It had happened so long ago, but it was so hard. He had always thought he have them for much longer. That they'd watch him grow up. He felt like they still were, but he could never reach them, never hear their voices again. Death was an uncertain fate, but it was definitely a barrier. It kept the living from the dead. The dead from the living. Dick ran his fingers over the carvings on the stone. JOHNATHAN GRAYSON. His dad. MARY GRAYSON. His mom.

He'd learned how to get along without them. What Bruce had given him had gave him a new shot at life. A new way to live. A familiar reason to love life. To care about what he did. There was work to do and he promised, just as Bruce had that by the spirits of his parents, to spend the rest of his life warring on all criminals. He'd keep that promise, too.

Getting up, Dick began to walk out of the cemetery when he glanced off to the side. THOMAS AND MARTHA WAYNE. He stood still. What was Bruce to them? How did they see him? Were they some of the few who could understand? Could anyone understand? He pondered over what they'd think of him if they ever had gotten the chance to meet. From what Alfred had told him, they loved Bruce. Bruce had only said a few things in their behalf, "They were my parents, they... were a lot."

That was impressive even unto itself.

Dick sighed and felt his teeth chatter at another gust of October winds. It was time to go. To suit up, to get ready. Walking down the hill, Dick didn't look back. There was the future to look to, to prepare for.

Like tonight.

Electricity crackled as thick floors buckled and broke away. It was chaos. There had been screams everywhere, filling my ears to no end. Certainly this had to end. Positively. And yes, we were near the end of it, but it feels like we're so far away from having the building fully evacuated. I keep calling out for people. It's getting worse. The whole building has men, women, and children scattered. We got most people out where the building first started to collapse. But now the old infrastructure's moved to the sides of the building. I breathe in hot air and realize somewhere there's fire. And then like a flash, fire lights the paint aflame. I skit away from the heat and that's when I hear the cries of a family trapped in the furnace.

Putting on a small breathing mask, I race into the heated hallway, remembering Batman tell me about some ship who's paint had been flammable, killing almost instantly those trapped in a certain area of the doomed cruise. I hoped by all means that it wasn't the same thing here. But indications pointed otherwise. No matter. We were here and we could still save lives. The panicked screams kept coming, seemingly from no where in particular.

Then they had an origin. Behind a door. The terror penetrated through the blocked doorway, a massive slab of bricks and burning wood in the way. Then something crashed down a few feet away. Batman stood there looking at me. He nodded toward the door. I nodded back. While I struck a bo-staff between the door and rubble, Batman used it as a lever to open the door. Inside there was a mother and her two little girls, huddled away from the burning walls around them.

At the sight of us, the mother grabbed her oldest by the hand and picked up her youngest, begging, "Please, save them. Save them."

Batman nodded, gently looking at the little one in the mother's arms. The girl was frightened by his appearance, which looked like a demon in the flames. But he did something he hardly ever did. He smiled comfortingly. Finally, the girl let go of her mother and let herself be held in Batman's arms. The other one clutched onto me. I looked at the mother and then Batman. He understood.

"I'll take them. Take the mother. Now!" He told me.

The mother looked bewildered for a moment while Batman picked up the other girl. He walked over to the broken balcony, knowing what to do. He always knew what to do. I went over, too. Right at the instant he jumped, the littlest screamed.

"Freckles!"

I looked back to see a small dog. The heat was so intense. The dog pouted and whined. Instinctively, I picked up the dog with one hand and shot a zip line downward. Hooking myself up, I let the mother grab hold. I jumped. The dog gave out a yelp. We had fourteen stories to go. As we fell, I heard something. The jump-line burning. No. We were ten stories. It was snapping at the seams. Six. It wasn't going to hold. Four. On it's last ends. Two. I cut the rope myself. The mother screamed and I shot another line down. This would have been one of the many great situations in which I wished I could fly like Superman. But I couldn't. Still, I somehow managed to get down to the ground, the dog and the mother safe.

Releasing them, the mother first looked around for her girls. And she found them running towards her. Tears ran down her dirty cheeks as she got to her knees and hugged her girls with all the force she could muster, telling them how much she loved them. It made me feel so out of place.

I looked around for Batman. He was no where nearby. Then all at once, the building started to crumble and an explosion rocked the massive structure and the street below. That's when I saw him, jumping out of a window holding something. Another small girl. I raced forward, but I knew there was nothing I could do. I could only watch. The child cried as Batman held her in his strong confident arms. Batman was a lot of things. But he was first and foremost a protector. He offered protection from the evils, dangers, threats that constantly tear apart lives. The exploding fragments of the building shot at him viciously while he let them hit him rather than the girl. I remember him doing the same for me once.

People started to point and stare now. What a being. What a demonic rescuer of a person. If he was even a person! There were many who thought he must be like Superman or Wonder Woman. Someone with superpowers. But I knew. I knew he had nothing but his own body, mind, and soul. Still, not even I fully understand what he did to achieve that. Bruce has a way of putting foremost the important things first, organizing in an effective way and manner as to how to go about whatever needs to be accomplished. His nature is... reclusive. He doesn't talk much, except to explain things to those of us who don't fully understand what he does. He's a teacher. The flames licked at his cape, somehow never catching hold...

He's my teacher. He was...

Ever since I was little, I had had two other teachers, my parents. But when they died, he came along and was willing to help me. I guess I sometimes overlook that. He was so selfless and giving. I don't know how I would have gotten through the tragedy if it weren't for him. Sometimes I wonder how he got through his. Unlike me, he lost his parents in a much less... merciful way. It was entirely out of selfish greed. There was no revenge or reason to comprise their lives. They were only in the way. And now Bruce just stays enclosed, away from everyone else. What runs through his mind is a complete mystery, but I can only guess that he doesn't harbor much happiness because I rarely seen him smile.

I've never really talked to Bruce about his parents. Mostly because I didn't want to intrude or think about my own loss. So instead I kept thinking about what would happen tomorrow. What adventure we'd face tomorrow. And as time went on I always knew two things about Bruce. One was that he was often quiet and kept things to himself for 'your own good'. And two was that he was indeed a legend.

I always looked up to him. There's something miraculously spectacular about him, his person born out of that one devilish night. He made himself something. A person of sacrifice. I wanted to make myself that, too. For my parents, for my friends, and even a little bit for him, in return for everything else that he gave me. And he has given me that chance. That's why he means something to me. And also because of that, I try. I try so hard to be the best, to prove that he was right in choosing me.

Finally, he landed and let the girl go to her father. He then walked over to me, a look on his face that made my stomach drop out of place.

"Get to the car."

"But..."

"Now."

I felt a bitter taste enter my mouth, but I kept it shut and walked over to where we parked the Batmobile, my eyes cast downward. We were going to have a talk and I knew it. And the seemingly hypocritical thoughts enter my mind. I hated being benched. Being kept out of the action. I gave it my all, but somehow I had messed up even though I didn't even know how. It was just never good enough. And I didn't know how to change that.

-T-

The drive home was unnaturally silent, as though silence was being forced into the Batmobile just from shear will-power. Batman kept his eyes on the road ahead, even though he could have easily put it in auto-pilot and not have to worry about driving. Robin kept staring out of the passenger's seat window, watching the multiple buildings rush past in a blur until Batman finally took them below ground and the cave walls hollowed around them. The dreariness of it all seemed to be amplified when they finally reached the cave where the only light sources were artificial and turned on low.

On the way in, Batman called up to Alfred. "Alfred, would you do me a favor and go upstairs to my room where I think there is a notebook for Wayne Industries?"

Robin looked up, alarmed and almost shocked.

"Certainly sir, I shall be right back down."

He knew what Batman was doing, but before he could say anything, Batman thanked Alfred and turned off the com-link. Batman glanced at Robin, who couldn't have been bottling up more fury but would not release it. Letting out an aggravated sigh, Robin turned once again away from Bruce, a cold sort of scowl on his face. He knew what was going to happen next. The car soon came to a screeching halt on the parking pad. As soon as the doors unlocked, Robin grabbed the door handle and was just about half way out before he heard Batman behind him.

"Where do you think you're going, young man?"

He refused to turn around. Just refused to. He didn't answer.

"I know that you know that I didn't forget what I said before." Batman reminded him smoothly.

Robin felt his muscles tighten, as though bracing himself for something painful. Then again, this probably would be. Batman watched as his ward shut the door and stand on the other side, waiting for him to get out. He wouldn't be rushed, though, and calmly got out of the car right after he locked the staircase from the manor so that there would be no interruptions. Robin watched as Batman walked around and headed towards the staircase. Resolved, Robin followed and waited for the inevitable lecture to start.

"You realize the possible number of fatalities that could have occurred tonight?" Batman asked.

That though, was a particularly harsh way to start it off. "What?"

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Batman concluded for him.

"Bruce, what did I..." Robin began to defend himself, when he was cut off.

"What did I tell you up in that apartment, about the mother?" Batman asked.

Robin looked up at him, shocked, but slowly answered, "To get her out."

"When?"

"Then and there."

"And what did you do?" Batman asked.

Robin felt his gut hurt as he looked back down, but then as his eyes rose up, he felt anger. "I saved their pet. Is that a crime?"

Batman turned around in the middle of the ascension, directing his response to Robin's rude tone of voice. "Excuse me?"

"I saved their pet. I don't see how that was a bad thing." Robin defended.

"You realize that in the time that it took you to recover from that jump-line being burnt, you could have gone off and saved maybe two more people? Do you realize that, Robin?" Batman scolded.

Robin felt his jaw move, but no sound come out. Batman continued up the stairs and over to the computer. Robin felt animosity building up in his chest. He didn't do anything wrong.

"We don't even know if there was anyone else in that building! And you're lecturing me about that now?" He defiantly questioned, stepping out of line, but he didn't care at the moment. He felt an unexplainable need to ward off the criticism that was coming. He couldn't take it. He knew he couldn't.

Batman whirled around to face him, his countenance marked up in a glare, "Watch your tone."

"My tone?" Robin asked.

"Why should I? I did the right thing. I saved somebody. And you're lecturing me because I didn't save more! I did all I could."

Batman's cape fluttered as he turned to face Robin. It was the first time in a long time that Robin actually gulped at seeing Batman's appearance. He was angry.

"Very well. And as you 'did all that you could', please elaborate to me on why you only further put that mother and dog in danger by sliding down that burning jump line?" Batman asked, "Not to mention yourself."

Robin felt his eyes scrunch up in disbelief, "It's better than letting them burn to death!"

"To fall from ten stories up? I don't know about that, let's make it twenty," Batman sarcastically, but coldly remarked, "Do you give any thought to your own safety, Robin?"

Robin stood in disbelief. The bats screamed at one another, flapped from perch to perch, and water dripped downward, bringing bits of dirt down to form larger stalactites. There was a knock from above, Alfred trying to get in. Finally, Batman turned around, the fight seemingly over. But...

"What's that supposed to mean? I take care of an entire team! I'm constantly planning our moves strategically to be effective and safe! How can you ask that?" Robin inquired, bitterly.

Batman turned back, the cape falling over his shoulders, "So you know how increasingly hard that responsibility is, to make sure others are safe on your watch?"

The shock was only replaced by ferocity. "I can take care of myself, Bruce! I've been doing that for two years! You can't be angry because I acted on my own!"

"You realize how much trouble you're getting yourself in?" Batman questioned, ignoring a knock from above the cave.

"I'm not getting into any! I could go back to Jump! I'll gladly go back to Jump!" Robin yelled.

"No you won't. You've committed to stop the mystery crime boss that's causing trouble in Jump. Don't think I don't know that about you, Robin," Batman responded, his tone smooth, fierce though.

Robin's flabbergasted reaction didn't stop the Dark Knight. "And considering how you 'take care of your team', you must know how disquieting it can be when your teammate does something you tell them not to."

"I can take care of myself!"

_"I'd very much like to get down there..."_ Came the call, which went ignored.

"You were barely able to do so tonight."

"I'm standing right here!"

"You realize how much I do to make sure you're safe? You realize that every moment you're out there on my watch it's my responsibility to make sure you don't get yourself killed?" Batman moved forward, as Robin found himself dwarfed by the Caped Crusader's shear anger.

But Bruce stopped, seeing a flash of fear. Just a bit. That's not what he was here to be. Maybe I should just bench you."

Robin's eyebrows shot up as Batman walked over to the computer counsole, the computer illuminating his masked face. "Bruce you can't..."

Batman's head whirled around to look Robin in the eye, clear that he could.

"I'll leave! The other Titans would gladly come out..." He started.

"I could just stop you from being Robin all together, Dick." Batman threw out.

No. No, he wouldn't...!

"Bruce..."

"After your behavior tonight, you've clearly demonstrated your level of maturity on the matter." Batman told him.

"You wouldn't! You know how much this means to me. I could still go out. I know how to get into the cave! I could easily get down here..."

Batman's patience was wearing thin. At the rate this was escalating, he wanted it to stop. He had hoped by just mentioning that he could bench him, Robin would stop being so irrational.

"Not another word, young man. You do not talk like that. Don't think I wouldn't hesitate to take all of what I have given you away if you gave me a good reason to."

Robin took a step back. What? _'Take all of what I have given away.' 'Take all of what I have given away.' 'Take.' 'All.' 'Away.' _Robin felt his chest tighten. Everything. He had nothing else. Nothing. Everything, gone... Batman watched as Robin's face melted from fury and anger into something else. Disbelief and hurt. For a moment Bruce regretted what he said. But he didn't get any time to contemplate it.

"Fine. I'm sorry." Robin spat out.

He couldn't stay here. Not with Batman. He could be a demon. He was one now. Robin felt himself begin to run up the stairs. He heard Bruce click open the door. He saw the light stream forward and Alfred's outline coming from up top. Upon seeing Robin, Alfred's shock was apparent.

"Master Dick, what..."

But Robin didn't give him an answer or even a chance to finish his sentence as he raced past the old butler and ripped off his mask, letting it flutter and fall onto the cave floor behind him.

He left Alfred in confusion. Bruce could explain it to him. He didn't want to. He couldn't believe Bruce had played that card. He had nothing else. What was he? A hindrance? A problem? A piece of furniture that Batman could easily move? He had nothing. Bruce had given him everything. His chance to be Robin. His chance to live in Wayne Manor and be happy Dick Grayson. His home. His…Was Bruce suggesting... giving him up? Giving custody of him back to the state? No. Opening up the door to his room, and slamming it behind him, Dick leaned against the door breathing hard. This couldn't be happening.

Below in the cave, Alfred finally reached the bottom. Clearing his throat for attention, Alfred held up the mask, a question on his face. Bruce tore off his own cowl and looked at it, but forced his eyes away.

"May I ask what exactly just happened down here?" Alfred asked, judgmentally.

Bruce was quiet for a moment, but Alfred didn't let up. He racked his head for an excuse, for a good argument for his own behavior. Finally, after putting his thoughts together, Bruce, barely above a whisper answered, "I... I just wanted to protect him."

There was no good reason. Robin could handle himself. He was fine, unscathed, uninjured. He was only fighting to keep Robin safe. There was no excuse. Just that. Just to keep him safe. But with that? What kind of... what kind of trust was that? Bruce closed his eyes and left the computer console, going deep into the cave where no one would bother him. Where he could cool down. Where he could find a place to mediate, contemplate. Figure out what kind of mess he had just made.

Upstairs, Dick leaned over his bed, pajamas on and the suit lying in his laundry basket, a migraine and the aftermath of an agonizing dispute consuming him. This sort of thing was why he had left. Him, and his shortcomings. Bruce, and his disapproval's. And if it was the same, he'd have been gone. He'd have been halfway to Jump City by now. But it wasn't. This time, he had to stay. He had to be there, for the citizens of Jump. To stop whoever was committing these crimes. His face was determined, resolved, and set as though he would show no other emotion as he pulled back the sheets and climbed into bed. Sacrifice. He thought he had that one down.

-T-

**A/N:** No Slade. No Titans. No Superman. No Alfred, mostly. Just the Batman and Robin and yeah, that argument didn't turn out too well now, did it? And somehow, I now feel incredibly satisfied and incredibly guilty. It's a very weird, but freaky pleasing sort of feeling. Must be because I've been looking forward to this chapter for so long. And hey, I told you that this was heavy hitting. Like literally. Not a great way to end such a day for the Dynamic Duo, that's for sure. Oh, and in case anyone's wondering what Bruce's nightmare was, that was the reference to "Robin: Year One". But seriously, now the question comes, what did you think of it? Please review! I hope everyone's having a seriously awesome week and enjoyed this! Later!

Rena


	13. Chapter 13: The Hacker

**Disclaimer:** You're kidding, right? I don't own Teen Titans or the DCU or Linkin Park and if I did, wouldn't that mean that I would in fact actually have had the chance to go to a comic convention, which I never have? Uh, huh, see, logic really does make sense! 

**Author's Note: **-Sits back and smiles insanely- Well, that last chapter certainly got a reaction out of everyone. A few different reactions, but all good and they made me happy. Glad you liked it! There's still more to come though. I know this is a little late, but I have a good excuse. I had to make it work. And I made it work. Took a little longer than normal, but I hope you'll like this chapter as well. A couple notes that I want to point out. First, for those of you who took the poll that was on my homepage, thank you. I greatly appreciate it. I closed the poll and the final result was a subtle RavenXBeast Boy pairing. Nothing strong, it's just there and not hurting anyone, I promise. The second thing is that some of you might of noticed, there are two Harveys in this story. There is Harvey "Apollo" Dent/ Two-Face and Harvey Bullock. They are not the same person. Just had to point that out. Finally, I also had the chance to write up a one-shot if anyone would like to read that. It's called 'The Star Of Vega' and should be up sometime soon. Now I'll be quiet and let you get to reading Custody, "Chapter Thirteen: The Hacker"

-T- 

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Hacker**

The smell of tobacco smoke filled the car. Bullock didn't care much, but Sawyer kept twitching her nose, begging for clean air. It didn't help that she had to keep hitting Bullock's hand away from his coat pocket either. The radio was on, or rather, both radios were. The police line and the FM. They were in the Narrows, never a friendly place, but not an uncommon place for two cops to be. In fact, there were normally more than ten. But tonight, they had all split up and were just watching out for trouble. 

Bullock was bored. He didn't want to much be here really. It was one of those nights where he'd much rather be watching The Maltese Falcon or Double Indemnity, the old black and white one. Plus, he didn't much think his partner sitting in the driver's seat really liked him. A breeze hit the car and Harv shivered despite his trench coat. He reached for the heater only to find that it was barely below it's highest heat. Aggravated, he still reached for it, but Sawyer glared at him. 

"It's a sauna in here, quit it," she barked. "It's your jacket, you should get a new one." 

Harv looked at her, a bit surprised at her tone, but sat back and left the heat as it was. "Didn't know it was that time of the month." 

"Shut it!" She spat. 

Maybe it wasn't exactly that time of the month. She wasn't annoyed irrationally, he could tell because she wasn't reaching for the locks so she could shove him out. Her face was wrinkled up, her nose high and her mouth was puckered up like she had just tasted something bitter. With her brow furrowed too, Harvey couldn't tell whether or not it was worth asking her what was so wrong. She was hardly ever this angry when she was assigned to work with him before, so he doubted it was his presence. 

The radio continued to shout out the news from the talk show,_ "So Mike, you hear about Gotham's city-wide security upgrade being pushed forward?"_

_"Yeah, exciting, isn't it Dan? After that recent robbery attempt at WayneTech, I don't see why Project Firewall wouldn't be installed sooner. Just goes to show 'know?"_

_"It's quite an impressive design as well, but do we ever really expect less from Wayne Industries? After all, Bruce Wayne has been dedicated to helping Gotham ever since he returned after his college days."_

_"Haha, the White Knight, of course. But seriously, Dan, Firewall's incredible. Wayne and his staff have out done themselves this time, I think. Sources tell us that it is nearly impenetrable to hackers and will keep a detailed list of all the workings of the city's economy, government and charity organizations."_

_"That's right, Mike, and any business in the area is eligible to apply for the free service. It should be installed by the end of the month, isn't that right?"_

_"Good thing too, with Halloween coming up Gotham needs all the help she can get. I mean, after the Joker's last successful escape attempt and arsonist attacks..."_

Maggie hit the radio off. "Morons. Firewall's not going to do anything for us." 

Bullock raised a brow, "So sure 'bout that? I'm personally looking forward to it. More hours to sleep." 

"Shows your work ethic," Sawyer muttered. 

Harv shrugged. "It's not like wanting to sleep more is a crime, Mag." 

Maggie fumed. She hated being in the Narrows. It smelled of filth and rotting dead rats and pigeons. And the people. These weren't people. They were low life and didn't even deserve to be part of society with the way they treated others and let their greed and selfishness drive their actions. She was being harsh, she knew it and it wasn't making her feel any better. 

"'Sides, not saying Firewall will solve all our crimes. Gordon would have given half of the Police Force leave and would have called off the Bat if that happened," Harv laughed. 

"He'd never call off the Bat." Maggie told him, "Not like the Bat does much of anything anyway, 'specially if he needs his sidekick back here." 

Bullock raised a brow. Something was really wrong with her. She'd never say that. She'd worked with both the Bat and Superman. She'd never say that. He took a good long look at her. Her short blond hair was messy and her uniform wasn't pressed or ironed or even somewhat presentable. She wasn't even wearing those spiky earrings of hers. There were long bags under her eyes and her face was clean of even the slightest bit of make up. Just foundation. He could tell because he could just make out the streaks in the dark shadows on her face. 

Someone ran past and away as a woman screamed. Maggie looked up almost automatically and rushed out of the car. Harvey, a bit shocked, struggled his way out of the car and shut both of their doors as Sawyer had left her's wide open. Much quicker than he was, Maggie shot off after the person. Bullock ran after as well, but felt his stomach clench. Soon, Maggie was at least a block ahead of him and he mentally made a note to not have that Butterfinger in the drawer of the car. Besides it was probably a sticky mess now because of the heat. 

Rounding a corner, Bullock found Sawyer pinning the thief against the wall, shouting angrily, "Think it's funny? Think robbing a woman is funny? Just 'cause she's a helpless _girl_ right, right?" 

"Please, I, I needed the money, I'm sorry," The man begged. Bullock realized that the man was maybe twenty one. 

"You're sorry? _Sorry_ doesn't solve things! _Sorry_ can't fix everything! _Sorry_ is a sad excuse for stupid and harmful actions! _Sorry_ can't bring things back!" She screamed, and Bullock was surprised to see tears welling up in Mag's eyes. 

"I'm, please, I didn't mean..." But Bullock interrupted before the poor guy had to take more of the woman's sorrow. 

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay, just calm down," He said, cuffing the guy, "You have the..." 

"It's okay? It's okay!" Maggie yelled at him. 

After cuffing the guy to a poll for the time being, Harvey turned to Maggie and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Maggie, look at yourself! You're a wreck!" 

"Jason's dead, Harv! Jason's dead! I was his partner! I was supposed to be helping him and working with him and he's gone! People don't just disappear for two thirds of the month and live, Harv. Not here. He's dead and we all know it and it's my fault!" Maggie broke down, tears falling again and Harvey realized that the woman had been crying much more before this. 

She and Bard had been working for ages. They were like cousins or something, never romantically linked, though. He had even heard rumors that they had graduated together or something. And he never stopped to think 

"Mag, Maggie, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault. You weren't there. He was home. He was caught off guard probably, it's not your fault," Harvey told her, hoping to console her. "And you know, the Bat and Gordon are working on finding the guy. They'll find him. They always do." 

"They're also worried about Firewall and every other pathetic crime in this crumbling city, Harv. If they find Jason's killer, they'll be lucky," Maggie breathed out in a smoky breathe. 

Bullock wiped his brow. "Look, let's get back to the station. Then you can get off and go get some sleep." 

"I don't want to sleep," She told him, the tears still slowly falling, but less forcefully now. 

Harv sighed and answered, "By then, I'll bet you will." 

He picked up the guy from the pole and they walked back to the car where he found the woman and got her information. Bullock got in the driver's seat and looked up at Maggie, who had just finished putting the guy in the car and muttering 'sorry'. 

"You ready?" He asked. 

Maggie looked up at the sky for a moment and realized what she was looking for. She smiled slightly and nodded. She was becoming too much like Gordon, gazing out for the capes. She slowly climbed into the car, buckled up, and let Bullock drive out of the Narrows. 

-T- 

Alfred carried a set of fresh towels and a cell phone through the hallways of Wayne Manor. It was late in the afternoon, way late. Master Bruce had left early this morning to take care of some work with that Project Firewall. Most of it was just business finalization. Everyone out there just seemed on their last nerve about the thing and Bruce had a way of calming down everyone else who was going crazy. 

So there were only two in the Manor now. Himself and, of course, Master Richard, who, if he guessed correctly, was most likely still asleep in his room. No matter though, the lad would get up soon enough, considering it was his teammates calling him. He slowly opened the door and just as he had suspected, Master Dick was still curled up in his sheets sleeping. He smiled, remembering how Dick had consistently slept in a small ball ever since he had come to the Manor so that whenever he had come in, he'd see a small lump and possibly a head, if that. Now that he has hit his teens, Dick has slowly come out of that, but one could still see remnants of the old habit. 

Walking over and shaking the boy's shoulder, Alfred told him, "Master Dick, I hate to wake you, but you have a phone call from your friends." 

Dick groaned, but rubbed an eye as he sat up, "Thanks Alfred, how long did I sleep in for?" 

"I don't know how long you stayed up last night, but it is about three in the afternoon now," Alfred told him as he handed Dick the phone. 

Dick sighed and answered the phone, "Hello?" 

"Dude, sup?" Beast Boy... 

"I just woke up, BB," Dick sighed. 

"Man, you just woke up? Aren't we behind your time zone?" Cyborg asked. 

"Yeah, but I work at night now," Dick explained. 

"Well, you sure sound tired," Beast Boy interrupted. 

"I am," Dick told him, a bit annoyed. 

"Robin, if we are keeping you the wake, then we may always call you back the later, yes?" Starfire asked. 

Dick sighed and smiled, "No, it's okay, Star. I'm fine. Is this a group call or something or just a individual call?" 

"I don't think we have a preference," Raven answered him, sounding far off as though she wasn't crowded around the microphone like the rest of them. 

"Well, alright, uh, what's the call for then?" Dick asked, lying back down as Alfred went to his bathroom to hang up the towels. 

"Just to say 'hi', I guess," Cyborg answered. 

"It's been way dull with you gone and Red X isn't exactly helping us any," Beast Boy answered. 

"I heard that!" came a call from the hallway. 

"If there's anything good about having him here it's that we know he's a male caucasian," Cyborg added sarcastically. 

Dick sighed, "Great, that eliminates half of the world. We're almost there, guys." 

"Wow, you guys are pathetic if you still don't know who I am!" 

"Will you please hit him since I can't?" Dick asked. 

Raven smiled. "Gladly." 

He heard a yell in the background and laughed, "Thank you." 

"No problem," Raven answered, as she settled back down onto the couch. 

"So, any news on our guy?" Cyborg asked. 

Dick shook his head as he replied, "Nope, nothing. Just that he's getting bolder. A cop, three retired people. It's getting ridiculous." 

"Sorry man," Beast Boy told him. 

"Yes, we are truly sorry, Robin. If there is anything we can do that might be of assistance..." Starfire added. 

Dick smiled. He missed them. He missed them all. But he missed her the most. As their conversation continued, he neglected to mention the fight that had occurred five days earlier. It was just a reason to worry them and he wouldn't do that to them. That was his own job. As Starfire spoke about the past week's events and seeing the Titans East after their visit, Dick remembered the dream he had had after the fight. It was very soft, almost out of his grasp now, but he remembered it had had her in it. Her face, her hand in his, it made him relax a bit until he woke up to feel dried tears on the sides of his cheeks the next day. He didn't want to admit where those tears had possibly come from. Needless to say though, he and Bruce hadn't spoken much after that. Not that he exactly wanted to. 

"...And Bumble-Bee told us that she would alert you to any news of any criminals resembling the description of the boss of crime that we are after," Starfire finished. 

"That's great, Star..." Dick answered. 

"Yeah, and Speedy said to tell ya..." Beast Boy started, but Dick wasn't paying much attention to him. 

He missed her. Really missed her. He needed to do something. They were sixteen now. Sixteen and he hadn't ever said anything. Never approached her about, well, you know. His thoughts wandered back to Bruceh. Bruce had said to never let in anyone. The next thing he'd know, they'd be hurt. It was an ingrained rule. And Robin knew that one all too well. He had seen it happen. Unintentionally, he flashed back to when Slade had infected his friends and they had been hurt because of him. He shivered at the memory feeling that foreign and evil uniform on his back. 

"Robin? Robin are you there?" Beast Boy asked. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry, B. What were you saying?" Dick asked. 

Beast Boy rolled his eyes and replied back, "If we were just saying how if Raven had thrown a wild party the other night you wouldn't have even known about it." 

"Actually, B, I wouldn't have believed you, but, I'm sorry, I'm just kind of out of it, been working a lot more lately. It's just me and you know, it's just us out here in Gotham," Dick explained. 

Raven cut in, "Are you sure that you don't want us to come out there?" 

Dick's eyes shot up and he quickly answered, "No, no. You guys are needed in Jump and I don't want you coming out here unless you have a real reason to." 

"Alright, chill, man, we got it. But you know it wouldn't be that hard to come out there. Titans East and us could switch places and all, simple and easy like that," Cyborg told him. 

Dick shuddered at the thought, "I know, I just want to keep it from getting messier than it already is. By the way, any more odd robberies on your end?" 

Cyborg thought for a moment, "Well, Atlas did show his face again, stealing provisions and food storage stuff. Weird, but not like him at all. Plus he didn't even have time to thoroughly try to kick our butts, not that I'm complaining." 

Dick sighed. "Anything else?" 

"Not really. I've got some community stuff I'm handling for your butt today, but not much. Man, it's almost been a month. Are you sure you're going to find this guy... or gal?" Cyborg asked. 

Dick knew that on the other line all four of them were waited on baited breath for his answer, which was the exact sort of attention he needed at the moment (haha, yeah right), "Guys, I... I don't really think that's an issue at this point. Whoever's doing this is getting bolder and bolder and they're going to eventually show their face. I don't know when, but I have to be there when they do. It's my job, guys." 

There was silence for a second till Red X spoke up, "Man, then your job sucks." 

"Thanks for the encouragement, X. I'll keep that in mind when testifying against you in court," Dick told him. 

"Jerk." 

"Alright then, if that's what you gotta do, that's fine with us." Cyborg answered. 

"You want us to leave you alone now, don't you?" Raven asked. 

"No, I'm okay, really," Dick said. 

"Hey, what's this?" 

"DON'T!" 

Dick pulled the phone away from his ears and realized that X must have touched something that he wasn't supposed to. 

The next person to come to the phone again was Starfire, sounding thoroughly flustered. "We are sorry, Robin, he touched the kitchen controls." 

"It's fine, Star. Are the others thrashing him or something?" Dick asked. 

Starfire looked over for a moment and answered, "Yes, and quite the effect way." 

"Good." Dick laughed. "You been okay?" 

"Huh? Oh, yes, I have been. It has been, lonely with you in Gotham." Starfire stuttered. 

"I'm sorry." Dick told her. "You know I want to be there, right?" 

Starfire bit her lip. "Yes, I do. I just, you said... I miss you." 

Dick felt his heart flutter momentarily and then guilt took over. "Starfire, I miss you guys, you. I'm trying, I'll be back soon. It can't take that much longer, I don't think. Alright? It'll be fine. I promise." 

Starfire smiled. "I believe you, Robin. Just, please, take the care of yourself." 

"You do the same, 'k, Star?" Dick answered back with a smile of his own. 

Finally, he forced himself to put down the phone and Alfred came back in, a wide grin on his face, "That was certainly a touching conversation to a teammate." 

Dick's eyes shot up, "It's, she's, she's not native to Earth, Alfred. I'm just a good friend since I help her out with getting to know Earth and we work as a team." 

"I whole-heartedly understand, Master Dick, I whole-heartedly understand. Now, I'd like you to freshen up and get ready for the evening. Master Bruce and you are having a guest for dinner this evening," Alfred told him. 

"A guest?" Dick shot up from his bed and walked across the room, "Who?" 

Alfred began pulling out the tuxedo and answered. "Miss Selina Kyle." 

"What?" Dick asked, looking like the world was about to end. 

"Miss Kyle, I'm sure you remember her." Alfred repeated, as though it was no big deal. 

"I remember her alright, and her cat-a-nine tales. Alfred, do I have to go? It's just begging for disaster. 'Sides, not like Bruce wants me there." Dick told the butler. 

"Of course he does, Master Dick. Now would you please, get in the shower? You have some mud still in your hair. I'll have to wash your sheets..." 

Dick grudgingly walked towards the bathroom with a rather loud groan to make his point of displeasure apparent and turned on the shower. _'Great idea Bruce, let's simply let the cat burglar into the house and present her with thousands of opportunities to rob you. Brilliant! And she can annoy me while she's at it.'_ Dick fumed as he got into the hot shower and hoped beyond hope that it would wake him from some nightmare. If only he had known what was to come. 

-T- 

"The soup is delicious, Alfred." Selina complemented after a taste. 

"Why thank you Miss Kyle, it's Master Dick's favorite." Alfred told her. 

Selina glanced over at the teen and smiled sweetly. No, they hadn't gotten along as Selina or Dick either. Still, Dick offered a brief smile before looking down and continuing on with his dinner. Bruce's glare wasn't brief, even though Dick ignored it. 

"I think you'll like the main course." Bruce commented. 

"Oh, and what is that?" Selina asked. 

"Selina, you know me. It's always a surprise." Bruce teased. 

Dick felt himself force back the impulse to gag. Not that hating her for being Catwoman was enough, oh no, Bruce had to include him in on these ridiculous dinners (how they went past eight in the evening before the appetizer was severed, he wasn't sure). Another one of the things that he hated about having Selina over was the fact that he couldn't tell whether or not Bruce was ever faking the flirting or not. When he was younger, he hadn't liked Selina because he didn't like Bruce giving her so much attention. Now, he really didn't care about that. 

Now he couldn't stand Bruce's actions. Considering that Bruce had always looked down upon his school-boy crushes and right here Bruce could very well be going against rule number one. It especially made him mad when he thought of Starfire too. He'd never told Bruce about his feelings for her, but he could imagine Bruce erupting at the idea. 

"I've heard quite a lot about your grand project, Bruce." Selina commented. 

"Project Firewall? Oh yes, it's getting quite a lot of attention in the media. Wish they wouldn't, but what can you do?" Bruce said casually. 

Dick's eyes focused on Selina, who was leaning across the table in interest. "How's it work, Bruce? How do you plan to keep out Calculator and all those baddies?" 

"Oh, I don't. It's not enough to solve everything, certainly, but would give us enough time to catch any hackers." Bruce elaborated loosely. 

Dick added, "And a good thing too. Keeps out the nasty _vermin_ from the city's system." 

Bruce glared at him harshly, but Dick didn't back down. Their staring contest was ended by Selina's comment. 

"I'm sure it will." Selina replied, "Now, how's that school of your's treating you, Dick?" 

"Fine." Dick told her, going back to his food. 

"When are you going back?" She asked, curiously. 

"Not soon enough." Dick said, earning another warning glance from Bruce. 

Not enough of a warning though, for what was coming next. In the Uptown center of Gotham, Slade flexed his fingers as a computer console lit up before him and a reached for a communication line. Everything was set up. 

"Wintergreen?" Slade asked over the line. 

_"Yes, sir?"_

"You in position?" 

_"Precisely, sir."_

Slade smiled. This would be exciting for a change, "Alright then, let's give my former apprentice something to really worry about." 

He hit 'Enter' and watched as the loading bar filled the screen. And he was not the only one to do so. Far up north in the confines of the city limits of Metropolis, Lex Luthor had his own plans. Dr. Westfield was a sad excuse of a scientist. He, on the other hand, was far more qualified for designing this project and apparently much more willing to go where the good doctor couldn't (there was no way Westfield could even start hacking a computer main frame, much less hack into a Tower's security network across the country). 

Walking down the long hallways of Lexcorp, Lex entered his private office and checked his spy plane's view of the tower. The only reason he had actually thought of cheating like this, stealing from a teenager that is, was because if this teenager knew the Bat's sidekick, he must at least be qualified for this. And after finding his past history with STAR labs, it was apparent that Cyborg possessed exactly the type of tech he needed. 

Speaking over a radio piece, Lex ordered, "Marcie. I'd like to be alone this evening. If you catch my drift." 

_"Of course sir,"_ She answered and he swore that he had hired more 'Marcie's than anyone within the confines of Metropolis. Hitting a key, he let the plane drop a small transmitter. It took a moment, but Lex soon read on the screen what he wanted to see. 

_'Connection complete'_

He smiled. Downtown in Gotham at the GCPD station, Detective Yin walked down the halls back to her office with Bennett, who was busy playing Minesweeper. She hit his head to get him out of a slump and walked over to the window. 

"Anything?" She asked. 

"Nope, just like three minutes ago when you last asked me that," Ethan told her sarcastically as he continued to click away. Only twenty four more mines to go... "Wish Gordon would let us go home." 

"Please, you know him. He barely sleeps anyway. Wouldn't hear of us complaining about sleep," Ellen answered. 

"Yeah, I guess, just..." Ethan stopped as his computer froze up. "Yin!" 

The computer screen reloaded, showing an orange series of zeros and ones in the background as Yin jumped over, "What is that?" 

The screen began to flash in a neon green, _"Upload Commencing"_ and the two cops choked on their words. 

"Get Gordon in here. I'll see if I can stop this guy," Bennett told Yin, who was way ahead of him. "Gordon!" She yelled. 

Gordon came out of his office looking flustered, but answered, "What is it?" 

"We've got a hacker!" She answered, "On the government's main line." 

Gordon raced past her to Bennett who was frantically typing with little results. "What are they taking?" 

"They're not. They're uploading something." Ethan explained. 

"What?" 

The lights flickered in the room and suddenly a bunch of angry yells filled the halls and surprised gasps followed. Gordon looked out to see all of the screens on the network filled with the orange backgrounds. 

"A virus?" He asked. 

The two detectives looked at him with a much clue as he did. With that, he yelled over the halls, "We've got a virus! Get it out!" 

Automatically Sawyer started to spread the word while Bullock ran to the signal above. And that's when it interrupted Bruce Wayne's dinner with the lovely Selina. Not that he noticed. The first to notice was Dick when his communicator rang out Linkin Park and buzzed in his pant pocket. Bruce gave him the 'what now?' look while Dick swallowed his food and checked to see the mini message reading 'hacker'. 

Dick looked up at the other two and quickly tried to calmly excuse himself, "Um, sorry, I just forgot to um, I've got some homework that I've got to do..." 

"Dick, your homework can wait." Bruce told him, not knowing that his ward had made Linkin Park his warning ring. 

"Bruce, I... Oh, forget it," Dick said, running out of the room. 

"Richard!" Bruce called out after getting up and looking at the doorway. 

Then he looked at Selina, who was lost in all of this. Now of all times Dick had to make a scene. He glanced over at Alfred who got the tip and walked off to follow young Master Dick, who was already opening the passage through the grandfather clock. However, Alfred only went out the door and only waited. Dick ran down the steps, not bothering to be careful in the slightest. He ran to the computer and found the problem waiting for him. 

Orange message. A hacker uploading a virus. He had to act quickly. In the government buildings, the virus began to spread, crashing several systems and creating problems in nearly every computer. Slade smiled as his decoy did it's job. Now to rearrange some... details. Dick felt his fingers tremble as he worked the keyboard and threw out programs to stop the virus and locate it's origin. Meanwhile, his own mind began to pull out possible suspects. Orange numbers. The arsonist. The murderer. Their man. He felt a sweat come from the sides of his face at the thought. 

In his office, Luthor began searching the hallways of Titans Tower via video feeds for the cybernetic teen. Finally, he found him. He was with another one, the green shape shifter, who was awfully loud, might he add. 

"Dude! Come on, we've got to meet the girls for movie night!" 

"Chill, B, I gotta recharge," Cyborg answered his friend. _'Yes.'_

"Not my fault you didn't fill up on tofu-whiches," Beast Boy scolded. _'What?'_

"Man, I don't even want to know what those things were..." Lex found himself caught between breathing a sigh of relief (he didn't want to know what they were either) and holding his breath at the same time. 

Just as soon as he plugged in, he'd have full access to his files... For Luthor, there was no time, no room for a mistake. Slade however, had time to drink the soda on his desk. This was too easy, though he soon saw signs of the boy wonder. All the same tactics. It could be the Bat, but it was as they say, the same difference. He had to finish this fast. In the police offices, the screens flickered between normal and their hacked state. They all held their breath. Dick kept typing. He was so close. The virus was almost gone. The hacker, within reach... Slade smiled as he saw the tell tale signs of the Boy Wonder getting too close for comfort. Almost done... There. 

In Titans Tower, Cyborg felt something enter his system and let out a yell, scaring Beast Boy out of his wits. "What? What?" 

"Get it... OUT!" Cyborg yelled at the confused changeling. 

Beast Boy did his job in yelling for Raven, who arrived within moments. "A hacker?" 

Red X (who had been happily pleased to be in the presence of the two girls earlier) came in shortly and Starfire was close behind, "Cyborg!" 

"Stealing something...!" Cyborg managed. 

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted, but her soul self's energy did nothing as she tried to rip the cord from Cyborg's chest, who, with great difficulty, was resisting the hacker's file search as much as possible. 

"What on Earth? Raven?" Red X asked, incredulously. 

"His charger..." She blinked, "It's... it's..." 

"Connected..." Starfire finished. 

"You mean..." Beast Boy started. 

Raven wouldn't give up that easily. "No, pull!" 

Cyborg could only yell. Lex searched over the copied files quickly, still not finding what he was looking for. While fruitless, he could tell he was close. His hired assassin however, had had a much more effective hacker's experience at this point then he had. 

Nearly ready to end it, Slade called up Wintergreen. "As fun as this is, we have to end this now." Wintergreen chuckled, _"Very well."_

Slade pulled out of the system easily and let Dynamic Duo continue with their quest to locate him and end the virus's hold on the system. Dick felt his heart beating madly in the cold confines of the cave. He hit 'Enter' and held his breath. Within the police station, Gordon held his own until he saw the computers shut down and within seconds, begin to reboot as though it had just been a power outage. 

Dick wasn't done yet though as he felt his hair begin to stick to the sides of his neck with nervous sweat. The hacker... Right there... He pressed the Space-bar only to find the opposite of what he expected. Not a location. Not a computer's serial code. Not even an owner's name. A note. 

_"Excellent, Robin, but I have other plans."_

Dick felt his stomach drop out. They, they knew it was him. No, they could be just playing with him. That's all. For all he knew, they could be guessing or trying to get Batman to call him off the mission. But, why would they do that to him? Unless they were from Jump City and had something against him... Dick shook his head. He was just panicking, they were probably just guessing or trying to make him paranoid. Which he was so it had worked if that was what they had intended. Dick let out a sigh and pulled his fingers off the controls. Well, at least there was one threat gone. But more questions. Questions. He hated questions. 

It took him a few minutes to stop his fingers from shaking, but as he would find, walking out of the old grandfather clock was the quiet part of his way back. It was getting out of Bruce's office that proved eventful. Opening the door, he found Bruce furiously glaring at him. He gestured the way out and Dick felt his shoulders scrunch up in preparation for what was coming. 

"I'm not going to even begin to discuss how entirely rude and abrupt that was, Dick." Bruce lectured. 

As they turned a corner and walked towards the dining room, Dick commented, "Then I won't tell you how I just saved Gotham's computer networks and got a note from our arsonist and/or murderer." 

Bruce's eyes shot up. "Dick, what..." 

"I said I wasn't going to tell you," Dick smart-mouthed back. "As you didn't want to discuss it anyway." 

Bruce put a hand on Dick's shoulder, to turn Dick to face him, but the serious look didn't deter Dick's attitude. "We'll discuss this later. I want to see the note." 

Selina was chewing a small bite of a Chinese dumpling when she heard a yell from the hallway, "Of course you do! And of course it's always later because you could care less about what _I_ find and do, right Bruce?" 

She raised a brow at Dick's tone. She had never heard him like that before. There was some mumbling and then another yell. "What, gonna give me up!" 

That had caught her off guard. Give him up? Like Bruce would ever do that. And that was saying something coming from her considering their history of being merely 'sweet' to one another. She didn't hear the rest but she soon saw Bruce come in looking like he had just fought a war. She would have said something. But she could tell there was nothing to say. 

Far west of the two adults in Gotham, the three teen superheroes and Red X struggled to unplug the tech teen while Lex continued to copy Cyborg's files. Beast Boy continued to change form every two seconds, finding hardly any of his animal forms actually making a dent as he made mental notes to figure out exactly what animals had the sharpest claws and teeth the next time he went online. Raven's felt her way through the wires, having been reduced to pulling wires free one by one. While Starfire used her starlazers to melt the metal plates on the cord, she also used her sheer strength and heated hands to pull the cord out of the wall. Red X kept using the xenothuim, changing it's form but was limited as charging the xenothuim was asking to nuke the place. All Cyborg could do was puny firewalls within his system as the hacker worked his way throughout the files. 

All of a sudden, Cyborg felt the energy recede from his body and cord released him from the wall. All four Titans and Red X fell to the ground in a heap and all of them were fairly confused, too. Raven was the first to free herself from the fallen pyramid type pile and the others followed, Cyborg being the last to stand up. 

"Friend Cyborg, what was that?" Starfire asked, concern filling her voice. 

"A hacker." Cyborg said, "Nasty one, too. Not like Gizmo, though. They were, I don't know. Good. They knew what they were doing." 

"What'd they take?" Raven asked. 

Cyborg shook his head, "Not sure, I'll have to run a system's check." 

"Need a hand?" Red X asked. 

Cyborg looked at him surprised and Red X added, "What? That was the most fun I've had the whole time I've been here. Being cooped up isn't exactly fun, you know." 

Beast Boy was going to point out that that was Red X's own choice, but each of the Titans' communicators rang simultaneously. Opening it up, Cyborg did the team a favor, read the text, and then answered Red X. "Don't think you'll have to." 

"Okay, does bird boy have cameras throughout the tower or somethin'?" Red X questioned, irritated that a chance at excitement had slipped away. 

"Nope, but apparently someone just tried to plant a virus into Gotham's central computer grid and it's possible that they knew it was Robin who stopped them." Cyborg answered. 

"Not the Batman?" Starfire asked, worriedly. 

Cyborg sighed and answered. "Nope. Not Batman." 

"And at the same time too." Raven added. 

Beast Boy raised a brow and held out his hands, "Okay, that's just too weird. We can't just let Robin do this alone." 

"We won't." Cyborg told them. 

The four teens stared at him as he walked back to his room and over his shoulder told them, "We're going to Gotham, whether Robin wants us too or not." 

He shut the door leaving the three Titans and Red X to their own reactions. In Metropolis, Luthor smiled as he looked over the file and prepared to send it to Westfield. The Sonic Cannon. Beautiful. Now he just had to wait for Slade to do his job and everything would fall into place. He sent the file to Westfield who would receive it in the morning. The night went late. Gotham's local government attempted to recover from the virus and the GCPD were put into overtime. Firewall had to be put up soon. This sort of thing couldn't happen. It was too dangerous. Too chaotic to handle. Too disorganized to watch everything. 

So no one saw Wintergreen go into the city files and print a few. No one saw. No one knew. Just one other man. Slade leaned back in his chair as he stared at the screen and the files he had retrieved from Wayne Enterprises. He smiled and thought to himself. 

_'Soon, Robin, very soon.'_

-T- 

**A/N:** Sighs, well, was that exciting? I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! A lot more of everyone, really. The police, Luthor, Slade, the Titans, etc. I think I had way too much fun writing this. Gave Robin a big headache, I think. Why do I smile when I say that? Don't know, don't know if I want to know. ;-D Again, sorry it was late, but I think I'll be able to get some chapters out sooner this coming month, thank goodness. Stay cool everyone! Later! 

Rena


	14. Chapter 14: One Bad Joke

**Disclaimer:** Couldn't own them even if I tried – I'm not that rich. I'm not even rich! I'm broke right now since I'm saving up for more comics! Agh! It's so annoying!

**Author's Note:** I think I owe everyone the biggest apology on the face of the planet. This has been the worst case of writer's block/unfortunate circumstances to ever keep me from updating this story ever! I mean, really, it's been non stop trouble and craziness for me in my life lately and that's just not cool. So if I've been like, the worst PMer, Reviewer, or Updater this past month, I hope you'll forgive me. So now that I've said that, I want to thank everyone for being so patient with me and that I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed Chapter Thirteen. But here we do have chapter fourteen and I'm finally satisfied with it and I think you'll all enjoy it too. So why don't I just stop ranting and let you get to the chapter: "One Bad Joke"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Fourteen: One Bad Joke**

"Yo! B! Where's my toothbrush?"

"How would I know? It goes in your mouth!"

"Well you're packin' everythin' in the bathrooms!"

"I didn't get to it yet!"

"Well why don't you get to it?"

"Will you two shut up!?"

Both boys looked down the hallway to see Raven glaring at them with vengeance in her eyes. Zipping their lips, Beast Boy and Cyborg switched places from the hallway and the bathroom and began packing without argument. Raven sighed. This would be worse than traveling to Azarath and back with only a car to get you there. Starfire came out from around the corner, confused by the earlier yelling. Raven shook her head at her, a clear sign that whatever the yelling was about, it was pointless.

Starfire shrugged with a smile and asked her, "I am sure that this will be easier once we get into the T-Car, friend Raven."

"I hope so Starfire," Raven told her as they both began walking to the front with the few bags they had already packed.

"I can not wait to see friend Robin again," Starfire told her, "It has been nearly a month. Why, is not the day of Hallows Eve coming the up?"

Raven looked at her, baffled for a moment and then answered, "Oh, Halloween, yeah, it's coming up. Maybe, what, four more days? At least the boys won't be able to go ballistic for candy this year if we're in Gotham."

It was quiet for a moment, until Starfire begged the question, "Raven? Have you ever been to the City of Gotham?"

Raven sighed and shook her head, "I have only heard. And while the city seems to stand high in the dark, I do not believe it is a city even I would enjoy living in."

Starfire felt her arms tense, but resisted the urge to swallow hard. If Raven didn't like something, it couldn't be good. And Robin had gone willingly? Well, perhaps not willingly, but he had volunteered. It was somewhat... disturbing, unsettling for her. They placed their bags down and went to go finish packing as did Raven. But Raven didn't get as far as Starfire did.

"So..."

Raven turned to see Red X standing in the corner. She glared at him. It had been too much work to keep an eye on him, so against their better judgment, they had decided to let him roam around on his own, provided all top security rooms were locked, double time.

"What do you want?" She asked bitterly.

Red X knew that she wasn't in the mood for this, but he had to ask someone and the other boys weren't going to be of any help at the moment. In addition, Starfire had taken a distinct dislike to him, threatening to tear out his eyes if he stalked her outside the bathroom while she was taking a shower again. She must have gotten sick of being hit on. Raven was perhaps the one person who hadn't had the urge to throw him out the window... yet.

"I'd like to know what on earth I'm supposed to do until you Titans get back. Do you even know when you're getting back?" He asked, still with that same smugness, but in an almost tentative way at the same time.

She sighed and answered, "We've left you the fridge. We're locking you in. If you need to get out, call Cyborg. Order pizza if you run out of food."

"Gee, thanks for the concern," Red X answered.

"Aren't you a big bad boy?" Raven sarcastically handled.

"Oh, taking up name-calling, are we?" Red X prodded.

Raven turned and glared at him, "Watch it and don't you dare step out of line because if you do, I'll make sure you regret it."

But before Raven attempted to retreat, Red X started back and she felt her head begin to pound. Fortunately, just then Beast Boy showed up, suitcases in his hands.

"Raven?" He asked, looking between the two, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she barked and was going to leave when he asked her something

"Hey Rae, wait! Please tell me you have less stuff than Starfire has in your bathroom?"

"I don't have much, Beast Boy," she sighed gently, but still with a warning tone in her voice.

"Alright, well, guess I should say thank you at least," he commented.

"Why?"

"'Cause your makeup bag is probably going to be considerably lighter than Star's," Beast Boy told her and added, "Not that you need it, you know."

Beast Boy laughed a little, but sensed awkwardness and quickly continued down the hall and around the corner. Raven watched and then sighed. He was trying to be nice. She knew it. And in a weird sort of way, he was. If only he could rid her of her migraine. And then she noticed that Red X was still standing there, with the worst sort of look in his eye. She instantly teleported to the roof and levitated in a meditation position. But before she could begin her incantation, someone interrupted.

"So why would I regret it?" Red X asked.

She opened just one eye, while wondering how on earth that guy could do that, "You're already pushing the line..."

"Then why haven't you kicked me out?"

"Because... I'm torn..." Raven finally answered, "Azarath, Metrion…"

Red X raised a brow and waited for an answer. There was none but she continued to chant, so he pushed for it, "Why?"

Raven continued, "There is something in you that I can't decipher."

"Like what?"

"Your nature. Your actions, motivations..." Raven closed her eyes and focused, maybe this would help… "You've been predetermined with good intentions, but something... something changed you. You know not what is right and what is wrong, as though it has been suppressed. And thus the evil and good within you are a muddy mix that I have trouble separating."

Red X looked taken aback, but replied, "You think this mumbo jumbo speech is going to make me change or something?"

"No," Raven answered.

"Then why are you telling me?" Red X inquired.

"Because you asked me. Now if you're only going to waste my time, leave," Raven told him; she had to concentrate…

Surprisingly, Red X laughed, "Alright, touché. So you don't know where I'm going to lean towards, so you wait. Nice to know that that part of me will still work on you Titans."

He sighed as he laid down on the ground while Raven levitated. She was trying to ignore him and wasn't doing a very good job at it. And yet she had to. Her head was aching. Going to Gotham. It was such a bad idea. She could feel it. Or maybe it wasn't so much a bad idea as it was going to a place like…

"So, you like him?"

Raven opened an eye, "Who?"

"That dork, Beast Boy?"

Raven's eyes snapped open and she hoped that Red X didn't see. He didn't, but Red X knew that he had hit something.

"I… I don't really have that privilege," Raven answered.

"It's a privilege to like that guy?" Red X asked, "Man, does he have an ego."

"No, it's not him or anyone, it's me," Raven told him, "You'd understand if you've ever seen me… lose it."

"I bet I'd survive," Red commented, his attitude cocky.

"Don't push it, X, you really just don't know when to stop," she told him.

Her head was pounding. She didn't want to talk. She had to chant. Her head…

"So what's Robbie doing in Gotham anyway?"

"Working," Raven answered, shutting her eyes shut tight.

"And why can't I come?" He asked.

"For that reason," Raven told him.

"That's not a very good rea..."

"Shut up!" Raven yelled.

Red X jumped back as he saw two more eyes begin to grow from her forehead while her breath became ragged and dragged out, in pain and almost a sick delight. It lasted but a few seconds, until Raven regained control. Red X watched as Raven cowered, her hood completely hiding her face, unsure as to how to react.

Finally Raven offered explanation, "Something... something bad... is about to happen... In Gotham..."

She breathed heavily and Red X tentatively took a step forward, but Raven held out her hand and announced, "Learn your place. Do not interfere."

"Alright, alright, chill," he answered.

With that, Raven disappeared into a drift and back to her room, leaving Red X alone on the rooftop. He strode over to the rooftop entrance.

_'Learn your place.'_

_'Don't interfere.__'_

What was he? Chopped liver? Whatever Raven was going on about, he didn't care. There was no way the Titans were doing this to him. Besides, whatever was going to happen in Gotham, it couldn't be that bad...

Could it?

Red X shrugged it off, as it made no difference to him, and walked down the empty hallway.

-T-

Water dripped from the ceiling and onto Ollie's jacket. Perfect timing. Of course as soon as he got out of the plane something would drip on him. At least it wasn't some present left by one of Bruce's flying friends who liked to nest on the ceiling. He brushed it off and continued to pay attention to Batman who was comparing the message and codes to that of Diana's and the rest of the JLA's.

"Diana, please tell me again why I had to come here," Oliver asked.

"It wouldn't be so painful if you'd quit whining, Arrow," Wonder Woman informed him in a hushed whisper.

Princess Diana, Wonder Woman, somehow you listened to her if you were a guy. She was naturally a born leader and commanded respect. Her outfit would often glitter in the sun, reflecting the nation which she had begun calling home. Right now, her lasso glowed in the dark with power while the light hit her tiara and bracelets. She respected every woman and let them talk to her openly. Only in the JLA did she work with other men while the only men she saw as equals were Batman and Superman.

"You can stop the whispering, Diana," Batman told her, "It's just as distracting."

Diana was about to reply when Alfred called over the intercom, _"Sir, shall I wake Master Dick?"_

"Please do so, Alfred," Batman answered and continued on with his work.

Wonder Woman turned at the mention of Dick, an eyebrow raised at a still oblivious Bruce.

"You neglected to mention that Dick was staying with you again," she said, hoping to get a reaction, anything, out of Bruce.

"It was irrelevant to the JLA business," Bruce told her.

Wonder Woman looked at him sternly, "I do believe we are also friends, Bruce."

Batman only looked at her for a moment and went back to his work, so Diana cut in again, "So what's made you so uptight about this hacker that you need Kryptonian, Thanagarian, Amazonian, Rannian and all the other sources of technology in the world at your finger tips?"

"I'm trying to find some string, some trace of who left the message at the end where their code or original trace should have been," Batman answered, scanning over Oliver's own technology.

"What'd this message say anyway?" Diana asked.

"They had other plans," Batman answered, leaving out the first half of the message.

Wonder Woman's eyebrows raised, but she said nothing. That is until Oliver tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?"

"Where's the bathroom in your see-through Jet?"

She was half torn in her answer while Oliver grinned his dorky smile right up at her. Meanwhile, Alfred was having just as much trouble trying to get Master Dick up and awake.

"I must, uh, insist Master Dick, ugh, that you get up," Alfred informed the sleeping teen between tugs to get Dick to let go of his bed sheets.

"Alfred, come on, with that stupid drag race last night…"

"I do not care what sort of shanagins you got yourself into last night, Master Dick, and quite frankly, neither does Master Bruce," Alfred told him, letting go of the sheets.

Dick raised his head in question, "Huh?"

"It's seven in the evening, Dick," Alfred explained.

Dick groaned. Now he was switching to Bruce's sleeping schedule. He'd been here too long. Way too long. And to top it off, he was tired. And all he wanted to do was sleep and go back to the dream he had been having. The one with his friends in it. The one with _her_ in it and her beautiful sweet smile. But no, he was stuck here with Bruce and his obsessive, unnatural sleeping habits.

"I do believe Miss Diana Prince and Mr. Oliver Queen are present," Alfred added as a motivation.

Dick looked up at Alfred who had offered a brief smile. With that, Dick shot up from his bed and began to hastily get dressed to go down and see the Amazing Amazon and Emerald Archer.

Down below, the door to the cave opened from and Dick came down. As he raced below, he caught sight of Diana and Oliver and smiled. Diana attempted to show the same enthusiasm while Ollie easily surpassed Dick himself with a laugh.

"Boy Wonder!" He called up, "Where's the tights, kid?"

Dick smiled and jumped down the rest of the steps, "Oliver, Princess Diana, what are you doing here?"

Wonder Woman composed herself again and answered, "Dropping some samples of technology off for Batman from the watchtower. What are you doing here?"

"There's been a connection between crimes in Jump and Gotham, so I'm just here till we solve it," Dick answered.

"Did you grow a foot or somethin'?" Green Arrow asked him, pretending to measure the difference with his bow.

"Just a few inches, Arrow," Dick answered rolling his eyes, "How's Speedy? Haven't seen him lately with him working for Titans East."

"You and me both. He's been ignorin' me lately I think, probably mad at something. Told me last that he was dating some girl named Jade. Proud of him for that though, he needs a girl. Anyways, have I ever told you how I met Speedy? It was a close..."

Green Arrow went into one of his tall tales as Dick only half listened. Diana however, felt her chest tighten. Once she was sure that Oliver was fully immersed in his story, Diana walked up to Batman and tried to make some type of conversation a reality. But before she could, Alfred came up to the Dark Knight.

"Sir…"

"Yes, Alfred?" Batman asked the butler, who had followed Dick downstairs in the latter moments.

"Before I forget, you have an evening meeting October thirty first for Project Firewall, it won't go long though. And I must remind you to take care of your face sometime before you retire tomorrow for the day," Alfred lectured in a soft voice, sounding much like an overbearing parent.

Wonder Woman repressed a snicker while Green Arrow continued to rant on not noticing. Bruce merely rubbed his jaw smoothly. He turned away and continued to work, cutting off any chance for Oliver to hear any more of it.

She nonchalantly asked, "So, what's he mean about your face?"

"I just need to shave," Bruce told her, trying to get off the subject.

Strangely, as far as Diana could tell, Bruce was clean-shaven. She tried again, "Dick's grown a lot in the past two years."

"I suppose," Bruce commented.

"Clark said that he's been trying to reach you," she continued.

"I've got my hands full," Batman replied.

Clearly, she wasn't going to get anywhere. Diana sighed as Ollie finished his story to Dick, who was beginning to question Ollie's memory, "You know, I thought that Speedy met you at a Native American reservation..."

"Yeah, yeah, that's where this all took place!" Oliver told him, "You worry too much about the details kid."

"You ready to go?" Wonder Woman asked him.

"As soon as you are, Babe," Green Arrow answered, receiving a punch to the arm, "Ow."

"We have to go, Batman. We'll call if we need you," Wonder Woman told him, "Oh, and call Clark if you get the chance. He's worried about some things going on in Metropolis."

"Hey, Green Arrow, can you hold up a minute? I need to get something to Speedy..."

"Dick," Bruce interrupted harshly, "They need to get going and you should have changed about five minutes ago if you were planning to go out tonight."

Dick lowered his head slightly, but with a bitter face and nodded, "Sorry, see ya guys later."

Oliver answered back, inwardly speculating, "Sure, kid, sure."

He wasn't quite ready to go now. As Dick left, Oliver was about to ask what that was about, when Wonder Woman held him back.

"We've got to get going. Call if you need anything Bruce," Wonder Woman told him and the two began to walk off to the Invisible Jet.

"Don't get involved, Oliver," she commanded.

Oliver snorted and whispered, "And please, tell me why not?"

"Just don't," she repeated.

"Diana, why?"

Finally, Wonder Woman stopped and turned to look at him as they reached the Invisible Jet, "Ollie, they just… I'm surprised Clark didn't bother telling me that Dick was here, but, Bruce and Dick… whatever's going on with them, they'll want us to stay out of it."

She began climbing into her jet, when Ollie followed and asked back, "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Going to get involved?"

Wonder Woman sat down in the jet and began to turn on the engines, "Only if they prove that men are as incompetent as they seem to be. Then again you already seem to do that fine without any other guy's help."

"Thank you!" Green Arrow added, jumping into his seat, "I'll take that as a compliment."

As the engines revved and the Jet began to emit long roars echo throughout the cave, Robin came out to watch. There was little to say, but he wished that he could have gotten up earlier. He heard Bruce talking to Fox over the phone, but didn't bother interrupting to say 'hi'. No doubt Bruce would tell him to do something else or question him about something he forgot to do.

"Yes, have it in my office in the morning… Yes, the prototype… No, no, you can continue making arrangements for the production..." He laughed, "No doubt the government agents will be… Oh? Alright. Well, thank you, Fox. I'll see you tomorrow, two good? Alright. Thank you."

"What was that about?" Robin asked.

"New prototype Fox is building," Batman told him.

Was it so impossible for the man to elaborate? Apparently so, considering he just continued typing and working on the technology samples.

"Would you look at some of these hacking tools?" Batman asked, "I'm only going off of what you described…"

Robin came up and watched the mini screens hoping that he'd see what he had seen four nights ago, but, "These codes don't match, Batman."

"They don't even resemble…"

"No, nothing like it. It was nothing like the Kryptonian or Thanagarian stuff. This person was human. They used techniques specific to our systems, to any…"

Batman looked at Robin and he got the point to quit talking now. Sitting down, Robin folded his arms and waited to be spoken to. Yes, he was all dressed up as Robin and there was nothing that Batman wanted him to do but sit and wait for instructions.

He didn't have to wait long.

The alarm rang throughout the cave and the bats above screeched at being woken up early. The Bat Computer's screen automatically switched to one of Batman's many cameras to see balloons in the air over the Wayne Oil Refinery. And then the speakers turned on and any bats who hadn't been disturbed now were.

"HAHaHAHahaHaHAHahaHAHahaHAHaHAHahaHaHAHahaHAHahaha!"

"Joker… Robin, move!"

He didn't have to tell Robin twice and they both were in the Batmobile speeding away to the Oil Refinery. The streets became blurs and Robin wondered how on earth it was that Batman could drive this fast and this accurately. A certain threat to Speed Racer for sure. And then he remembered that he was learning to do this as well. He was shaken out of his daze when the Batmobile screeched to a halt. He jumped out to see dozens of air balloons in the air, apparently carrying jack in the boxes, all turning slowly.

Cops surrounded the area led by Bennett and Yin. They all pointed their guns at the mad man, but none of them fired. They were ready, they had him surrounded. But the laugh sounded at their near terrified faces. Seeing the Dynamic Duo, the cops let the two come forward, as though they were the SWAT team, because they basically were. Before going past the line, Batman was stopped by Bennett.

"We got your back, Batman," he told him, "If you need us…"

"I'll call, but don't let your men doing anything without my go ahead, Bennett," Batman said from the corner of his mouth, his voice gruff, but direct.

"Bats! You're late," Joker teased as Batman and Robin walked forward, "Did bird-boy here hold you up?"

Robin took out his bo-staff threateningly. Everyone tensed, but Joker only laughed, "I can see you've grown a couple inches, kid, but please, don't flatter yourself."

Robin seethed, but suddenly was aware of another threat. Joker had been out in the open. But he held his hand behind his back and there was a huge tank on his thin lanky back.

"So how are you going to stop me this time, Batman? Aren't you going to try and…"

"Batman," Robin whispered, "What…"

Joker took out a pistol and hit two of the balloons above. Instantly, they released a liquid which poured down towards the Dynamic Duo and another towards a police car. They both dodged the threat and looked back to see craters where the liquid had landed.

"Acid, Joker?" Batman asked, "Don't have any new brilliant ideas lately?"

Joker laughed, nearly choking, "Batman, you know I always have something new for every show!"

Joker brought forth a large red button and they all knew that those were bad. Batman watched as he hit a trigger and suddenly, clown robots emerged all carrying tanks of liquid on their backs.

"See here Bats, here's the dilemma. You see those air balloons? They're here to advertise my new show. They're going to go throughout Gotham and explode with laughter all through out for announcements…" He let the Dynamic Duo's eyes widen before continuing with a laugh, "But, that's not all. You see, I just keep feeling like Gotham doesn't laugh enough, so I'll be adding my special laughing gas to well, their gas!"

The Oil Refinery… if that laughing gas was released nearly all of the Wayne connected gas stations in Gotham would be contaminated in minutes and if that gas got into the tanks of all of the cars, it would release the laughing gas into the air with the exhaust. And there was a pretty good chance of that happening considering that Wayne Gas was the cheapest around Gotham: a dollar per gallon. Yeah, Bruce had been working on solving that problem with Fox, too.

"Choose wisely, Bats, you can't hope to keep the joke from everyone. Now be a deary and allow these fine young bots into the refinery."

"Where'd he get this stuff?" Robin asked.

"Doesn't matter now, on my mark…" Batman whispered.

The robots made their way to the Refinery's wall. As soon as one of them opened the door, Joker turned, but for only a moment.

"Now!"

Batman threw a cement bomb at the door, blocking Harley, and went for the Joker, careful to stay away from the laughing gas, while Robin leaped up towards the sky. The balloons began to float off. Throwing a birdarang, Robin hit his target, but destroyed electrical equipment in the process. Now that he looked at it, the balloons were all going off on dangerous courses. Great. Batman had his own problems, too. Joker was not easily dismantled.

"So why'd you bring the bird boy back, Bats?" Joker quipped as he dodged, "Am I too much to handle?"

"This isn't a game, Joker," Batman ignored the comment.

"Of course it is," Joker retorted, "You can't hope to win it all, either."

Yin and Bennett hid behind their cars, the rest of the cops with them, crouched and waiting for any opportunity. They couldn't shoot the bots – otherwise the gas could be released and Gordon would never forgive them. Yin kept her head above the car looking for any opening. Anything. Anything! And there was nothing.

"Agh," she groaned, "This is pathetic. It's one guy!"

"Bats will handle it Yin, don't worry," Bennett told her.

"I'm sitting back here Ethan," she shot when an opening caught her eye, "Come on!"

She ran off around the blockade, leaving a confused Ethan in her wake, "Wait, Yin! Aw, come on!"

With little choice, Ethan ran off behind her while above him Robin leapt from pillar to pillar towards the balloons. Once above the Refinery, Robin leaped into the air, catching hold of one of the air balloons, which began to drop rapidly with the added weight. As he attempted to open up the box, the acid began to seep out. Robin kept moving, his nimble fingers trying to pull out the box of acid, but then…

Snap!

The wires holding the box cut as the acid burnt threw them. Locked in combat, Joker looked up and laughed while Batman's eyes widened as his ward began to fall. Robin screamed and came within ten feet of the ground when something caught him.

"Huh?" Robin looked below him at the dark plate that hovered above the ground.

A boom sounded with a roar and a pillar nearby the refinery fell onto several of the robots, crushing them.

"Well, that was easy."

It was time for Joker to be shocked, "Who…"

Four teenagers stood or hovered above the fallen pillar, eyes glowing and cannons lit. A green one, the shape shifter. A hooded one, the mistress of magic. A flying one, the alien powerhouse. A cyborg, the half man, half robot. He had heard of them, Robin's team, but he'd never heard of how fierce they actually could look if they tried. He'd have to put them into time out.

Cyborg stepped forward, "We're the Teen Titans. I don't think we've met."

"No!" Joker yelled, pushing Batman to the ground, who had been distracted by the Titans' arrival.

Robin jumped to the ground, "Cyborg, Beast Boy, take the remaining robots. Starfire, Raven, take the balloons!"

They split up while Robin rushed ahead towards the Joker with a Bo-Staff. The problem that the Joker always presented was his nimble and thin stature, making it difficult for Robin to get a good hit as the Joker constantly dodged him.

"Oh, now Bats' got a whole gang of kiddies," Joker mocked and grabbed Robin's Bo-Staff, "How cute."

Putting knee to Robin's gut, Robin stumbled and the Joker laughed. That is, he laughed till Batman gave him a good punch to the jaw, his bones cracking. Above, Raven and Starfire were having their own difficulties. Raven couldn't touch them without making the balloons sizzle and explode while Starfire couldn't hit them without the acid exploding over the field.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The balloons themselves began to come close together. As soon as they were close enough… Starfire let loose a large starbolt. The boxes began to fall into one of Raven's shields, effectively containing the acid while the balloon pieces flew everywhere. Starfire turned only to find one hitting her in the back. She began to fall dazed. Robin was the first to notice.

"Starfire!" But that got him a punch to his skull from the Joker.

Starfire's eyes fluttered open and within seconds, she realized what was going on. Instantly she flew back up into the sky, ready for the next batch of balloons. Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Cyborg were having their own trouble with the robots who now that they were blocked from the outside, couldn't get in unless they climbed. And they did. As Beast Boy and Cyborg approached, a few turned towards them to create a barrier and attacked, skillfully.

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled.

"What?" Cyborg said between ducking attacks and punching his opponents.

"Did I mention that I hate clowns?"

"Not too fond of them myself right now, B," Cyborg replied.

"Hey, how'd you get…?"

Cyborg let out a quick sigh of relief when finally Beast Boy used his brain and turned into a snake, effectively squeezing the robot. He would have laughed save for the fact that these robots seemed to come out of nowhere to replenish the dwindling inventory of robots. Cyborg himself was getting tired of all the idiotic robots, too. Their crazed faces were disturbing and they had the most flexible bodies he had ever seen. This was just plain creepy.

"Alright, that's it!" With a yell, Cyborg maxed out his sonic cannon, destroying the wires inside the robots and making them useless, "Boo yah!"

As they began to eliminate the robots, Joker was the last threat. They could still lose. Not that Yin or Bennett could tell considering that they were too busy going around and climbing the wall that surrounded the Refinery so they could get behind. It was dead quiet save for the explosions they heard near the front. As Yin got up and Ethan fell over and onto his back, she scanned the area.

"Tell me again why this was a good idea?" he asked.

"I thought you liked being in on the action, Bennett!" she remarked.

"Yeah, but Ellen, this is not what Bats told us to do," Ethan replied.

"We're just positioning ourselves, Ethan, no biggy," she said.

"Yin, come on, this is just…" But he was cut off as something fell and hit the floor. They both looked over to see a large oil container roll towards them to a stop.

Ethan gulped, "Didn't you say earlier that this place was… uh, empty?"

"Harley, Joker must be working with her," Yin reasoned, "let's go."

Running down the lots, the two soon caught a glimpse of a shadow. Someone else was here. Then soon hit a fork in the road and they both looked left and right. Where had they…

"You go left," Ethan told her.

"You go right," Ellen responded.

Taking out their guns and tranquilizers, the two split up. Ethan ran around a corner. Somehow, something didn't feel right. It was really quiet. He knew that he was close to the action. There were still 'booms' and 'bangs' that he could hear from here, but still. It was closed off, remote, like a dead end.

"Well, well, well," a voice came from the darkness. Ethan looked up and pulled his gun out towards the disembodied voice.

"Who are you?" This wasn't a woman. This wasn't Harley.

"Now why would that matter?"

"Why don't you come out, ya coward?" he asked.

"Very well, but you'll wish I never had."

Slowly, a man emerged from the shadows, though they seemed to cling to him as though he were the Shadow-Thief. But no, this man wasn't Hawkman's problem. He was someone else. He'd seen him, but where?

"You've certainly saved me the trouble of tracking you down. Now, Bennett, you have two options. You leave Gotham, or die," Slade said, barely above a whisper.

"You're, insane… Why do you care if I'm here?" he asked.

Slade laughed, "Sorry, that's for me to know. Now, do me a favor. Choose before your partner comes back or I kill you both."

This man was crazy. Crazy, he had to get out of here, "Don't think so!"

He shot his gun where Slade had been, but missed and Slade quickly disarmed him and pinned him to the wall. Slade took out a match and picked up Bennett's gun which had fallen to the floor.

"You're a fool, Bennett."

Ethan's eye's widened as Slade lit the match and dropped it into the gun. This was so bad. Out front, things were barely improving. Between both Batman and Robin, the Joker was obviously getting tired, but the Joker was playing their emotions with ease. Come on though, how could he not? He used his own momentum to push the Dark Knight to the ground. Robin yelled and began to use his bo-staff to dodge and hit Joker where he could.

"You're pathetic bird-boy," Joker spat, "Why don't you fly home?"

"Please – that joke's so old," Robin quipped, "Got anything new?"

Joker smiled, his mangled teeth shining with his own spit and blood. Batman's eyes bulged as Joker knocked Robin to the ground and pulled a gun. No. Robin's blood froze. The world froze. Joker laughed.

"Say night, night, birdy," he said with a giggle.

This was it. It was over. Actually, it would have been, but somehow, Batman got to Joker's arm first and as Joker pulled the trigger, the bullet shot up harmlessly into the air. Batman quickly disarmed the Joker, while Robin regained a sense of what was going on. He kicked Joker to the ground and Batman restrained him with cuffs.

"Don't. Ever. Try. That. Again," he seethed.

As Joker laughed, Batman slugged him knocking the mad man unconscious. Raven and Starfire finally dismantled acid filled balloons and the robots ceased to come after Beast Boy and Cyborg. All at once, the cops started cheering and whistling at them. The Titans beamed. They had made it. Their first victory in Gotham! Robin went over to the Titans as they regrouped.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, half excited, half confused as Starfire gave him a hug, "I thought I told you to stay in Jump!"

"Dude, you're not getting rid of us that easily, 'sides, Cyborg wants to compare notes," Beast Boy elaborated.

"Notes? What?" Robin asked.

"Same night Gotham had that weird hack job, I had one myself. Someone stole and copied all of my files. Figured it's time that we get out here and start really working on this case," Cyborg told him.

"We're staying in a hotel as alias," Raven explained, "A little easier for you, we thought."

Robin smiled, that is till he saw Batman walking off towards the cops without even saying 'hello' to Robin's team. He nodded over to the guys and they followed. Batman wouldn't even face him as they followed.

"Batman, I, uh, you, um, these are my friends, the Teen Ti…"

"We'll talk about this later," Batman told him, shocking Robin beyond all belief.

He had… done something wrong? Again? Again!? What? What was this guy's problem? He was never good enough! Or, it could be the team. Whatever it was, it was his fault. It was always his fault. He felt an anger begin to burn when Batman stopped to talk to a nearby cop.

"Where's Yin and Bennett?" Batman asked a cop and Robin stopped.

"I, uh, they're over… I thought…"

A loud yell interrupted him and gave him his answer, _"SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PICK UP!! COME ON!!"_

Batman instantly grabbed the man's radio, "Yin, what…"

"It's Ethan! He's… he's…"

"Where are you?"

"I… I'm behind the warehouse, warehouse N," she managed.

Batman wasted no time and quickly ran towards the warehouse around back. Robin followed quickly, knowing that Batman was worried. About what, he wasn't sure. The Titans, though confused, followed. Batman ran to the top of the warehouse and didn't have to look far when he saw traces of smoke rising from a side of the building. Jumping down a shaft between crates, he found Yin kneeling, her hands on the ground, trying to keep it together. Robin and the Titans rounded the corner, but none of them expected to see what they did.

Batman stood in front of them, staring at a wall. Three imprints where bullets had landed and blood splattered across the wall. Below, a ring of black soot from a fire and Ethan's gun lied on the ground nearby. Shot and incinerated. Yin felt tears dripping down her face. She cried. It was her fault. If she hadn't been such a complete idiot, action-obsessed fool… Robin swallowed. Ethan… Batman's fist began to tremble. Ethan had been Bruce's friend since they had been in elementary school. Oh no. Robin held his breath when Batman turned, angrily glaring at him, the scowl on his face radiating power and rage and somehow, all of that he felt was directly aimed at him for unknown reasons. He felt like he had to say something, anything, but he didn't know what.

He could only try, "Batman… I…"

"Just get to the car," Batman ordered, "All of you."

While the rest of the Titans backed up, Robin stood still, shocked, causing Batman bark louder, "_Now!!_"

They didn't need to be told again. They all left, though Robin hesitated. The glare on Batman's cowl told him to go though. As he left, he felt Batman's marked determination. This had just become personal. Ethan was dead. He was dead. And it wasn't Joker. It was someone else. They couldn't let this murderer strike again. He didn't think Bruce could handle it.

He didn't know if he could handle it.

-T-

**A/N:** Okay, please don't kill me. I'm very sorry about what happened to him but he had to well, yeah. I'm sorry! I mean, the Titans came to Gotham, that's a good thing, right? Can only go uphill right? Okay, wrong, but still at least they're hear now. In any case, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please Review! Stay Cool! Later!

Rena


	15. Ch 15 The Princess and The Squire Oct 31

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Teen Titans, Batman, or Deathstroke or any related character. If I did, a lot of people would be very mad at me since I'd probably want to keep them all to myself.

**Author's Note:** Alrighty! I worked very hard on this chapter all week and then I realized, wow, this is longer than all the others, so, I turned it into two smaller chapters and somehow, I think you guys won't be too disappointed. Anyways, one reason why these chapters were once such a ridiculously long chapter is because they've got a lot of important stuff in it! Remember when I said that last time? So yes, big turning point. Big suspense. I even threw in fluff for crying out loud. So I really hope that you enjoy it. So I'll stop talking now, k? Here's "Chapter Fifteen: The Princess and The Squire"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Interlude: October 31st**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Princess and The Squire**

Robin came in on his R-Cycle seconds after Batman got out of the Batmobile. He had taken to not riding with the Dark Knight after his team's arrival. Neither spoke to one another or even remotely acknowledged the others' presence. Needless to say, Batman was not happy nor pleased with the Titan's surprise visit. Nor was he pleased with their activities since.

And Robin was getting the brunt of all it.

The glares. The grunts. The sneers. And somehow Batman knew how to make all of that seem like it wasn't childish. It was so not fair and at this time of day, Robin had no intention of dealing with it. Changing quickly, the first thing on his mind was to go straight to his room. But to his surprise, Batman actually spoke to him. Shocker!

"Robin," he singled out of the otherwise empty audience.

"What?" Dick asked, not at all trying to sound noncompliant.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Batman asked.

Dick raised a brow, "Um, don't know. A little work I guess and mostly just patrol. Why?"

"I'll be at a late meeting. If you could go out early, you could cover the area till I get out," Batman told him.

"Why bother?" Dick asked.  
"Have you forgotten what day that is?"

Dick thought for a moment and then it hit him, but Batman continued not giving him the chance, "Halloween. A perfect night for theatricality in the minds of the insane. Correct me if I'm wrong."

The sarcasm in his voice was rich and Dick hated it. "Fine, I get it. I'll go out as soon as I can tomorrow."

Without another word, Dick walked up the long staircase. They really needed a elevator. When he could remember how many more steps there were by the way the groves cut into the cave, then he knew that he had climbed these steps one too many times. He had stayed out all night and was ready for a good sleep.

Coming up, he was met by the black and orange decorations for Halloween that Alfred had put up. He forced a smile. There wasn't really a reason for having Halloween decorations up. No one but he and Bruce would see them. Not even children in the neighborhood came trick or treating. Wayne Manor on Halloween could look like one of those Victorian haunted houses with all of Alfred's work. And Dick had noticed that for some reason, the bats liked to fly around outside more on All Hallow's Eve. He shrugged and continued towards the main hall.

Dick walked up the elegant staircase, his hands brushing the cold pearly marble banister. Would anyone believe that the stairs themselves where actually all one piece? Probably not. They had to be cut out of a mountain and shipped half way across the country. He sighed, letting himself remember what it felt like to have enough energy to climb up the stairs and slide down the banister. He wished he was ten again. Being ten was so easy. It was all relatively much more simple back than. And Bruce didn't hate his guts back then, either. Then again come to think of it that wouldn't be much as he pretty much was sick of being around Bruce anyway, what with his attitudes towards him and his team.

There was no way around it. The man saw the Titans as amateurs that weren't getting any better. Dick shut his eyes as he remembered Batman coming back from the scene of Ehtan's murder. None of them had talked; they had all sensed that they shouldn't as a solemn mood had enveloped them. When Batman had come back, he had spoken quickly to a police officer nearby to have them deliver a message to Gordon, and had managed to demand a proper introduction out of his sense of courtesy and nothing else.

While Robin had breathed a sigh of relief when Batman had at least heard of Beast Boy from the Doom Patrol, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire were another story. Cyborg got off relatively easy compared to the girls. No bad ties, but no outstanding good ones either, outside of Star Labs. For Raven, the daughter of an inter-dimensional demon that had attempted to take over the world, probably the only reason why she had gotten any respect at all was because she had stopped her father's attack on the world. Starfire, though... To Robin, the mystery as to why Batman hardly even acknowledged her was beyond his comprehension.

Probably wasn't for any good reason, though.

Now in his room, Dick blearily got under his covers and kicked off his shoes. Why did it have to be so early in the morning? That just makes it difficult. The light from the curtains. The bright colors in his room. Now he understood why Bruce had darker colors in his room. But despite all of this, his eyes were almost entirely relaxed when he succumbed to sleep, sweet sleep. He was getting used to doing this. If he slept all day, so what?

It felt so good. So lulling. Like he was being flown away from his bed on something, something much softer than a magic carpet and a lot more comfortable. But what was there to dream about? Going home? Home. Even as he glimpsed Jump City before him, his first thought was of Gotham. But no one even wanted him there. And sadly, Jump at this point seemed like a resort to run away from because of Bruce, though it had never been originally. It killed him.

Somehow, the two cities sat next to each other, separated by a mountain range before him. He had to make a choice. He had to... The ground beneath him crumbled and he fell. Dick landed on cold, icy-hard ground. There were no more dreams. It was cold and he shivered. Something landed on his head, like water. But when he looked up, he didn't see any cool refreshing water. Instead, something red landed on his cheek. He felt it with his hand and swallowed hard as the iron smelling substance gleamed like the liquid in his own veins. He got up but a rumble stopped him. As it continued to rain blood from black skies, the sound of something, thundering through the canyon, had grown into a roar.

A red sloshing river aimed straight for him and Robin felt it hit him as though he had hit his chest directly into a pool of water. The difference? Now he was tumbling around and getting hit against rocky walls as he tried desperately to reach for air. But he couldn't and as he opened his masked eyes, he saw larger objects tumbling with him. They seemed metallic, round, precisely shaped ellipses. Silvery, with an engraved 'S' on each side of them.

Then he lost sight of them and his head reached air. He heard the sound of something draining the blood from the river. He suddenly landed on a grate as the blood flowed past him, over him, and onward. He choked and sputtered, the blood soaking his clothes and chilling him as it ran down his sides, scaring him half to death. It surprised him that he was still alive.

Then a clap. And another clap. And another. And another.

"Well done, Robin, well done." said the almost bemused, sly, voice.

Robin gasped and choked as he looked up to see the masked man standing over him, whose voice was far too familiar for comfort. Not him! Robin looked down at the floor. Anything, not him, please, please, just not...

"Come now, look me in the eye, Robin," Slade said picking him up by his blood soaked tunic.

"This isn't your blood, is it Robin?" Slade asked and Robin felt himself squirm. Stop! Leave! He had to get away, had to... "No, you have no wounds."

Robin felt himself hold his breath in fear of what Slade would next say, "We can change that though, can't we?"

The words chilled the blood running down his skin. Robin shook his head frantically, but it didn't stop the sting of Slade's fist against his jaw sending him flying across the floor. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, fighting against hope that in some way, he could run, get away from the monster. But man, that nightmare, it hurt. His vision finally focused again from the shock. He gasped as he looked up at his opponent, his enemy, his nightmare.

"You shouldn't have left me, Apprentice," Slade said, coming closer, his fist raised, ready for another blow.

But Dick didn't feel it as he gasped and woke up, finding himself still in his bed, safe. The only noticeable difference was that he could still feel the cold sweat that had engulfed him and he was still trembling from the nightmare. His breath was stunted as he breathed hard and quick. Getting up, he headed straight for the shower. Had to calm his nerves. Had to.

The hot water ran letting steam fill the room. He hated these nightmares. Hated them. But at least they didn't come as often as they used to. Slade hadn't been heard of since his disappearance after the defeat of Trigon and Robin had no reason to think that he'd be back. Besides, perhaps once you see the city you set out to destroy, well, destroyed, it loses the appeal. And the nightmares had left. So considering that Slade hadn't even remotely been or tampered with Jump City, that was a good thing.

The nightmares used to be miserable. It scared him what his mind could come up with sometimes. And to think, he had been dreaming about the probes. He shuddered. That apprenticeship was the most miserable time of his life. And no, he hadn't told Alfred, or Bruce about it. He wasn't about to do something that stupid. Not that Bruce would care. If he did, Bruce would probably scold him for being so weak, so incapable, which he wasn't. He wasn't.

But still, knowing that Slade had been a threat had caused Robin at one point to go paranoid. Slade wasn't a threat anymore. The man had moved on. If he hadn't, he would have struck by now, Robin was sure of it. As much as Slade enjoyed the shadows, he still would have had his own goals and they would have been presented by now. At least now he could enjoy himself more and he could be confident that his team could hold up against the worst of the worst. Dick rubbed a towel over his wet hair, and with his pants on and his shirt over his shoulder, he stepped out of the bathroom, finally noticing it was near sunset. He was turning into a night owl again. He shrugged and was about to throw on his shirt when his communicator rang.

Picking it up, Dick saw it was Starfire on the other line and his heart skipped a beat. He ran to get his mask on and opened the communicator, "Hey!"

"Greetings, friend Robin, you slept at the ease?" She asked, happily.

Robin laughed at her cute diction and answered, "More or less, you?"

"Oh, I slept well too... We attempted to call you earlier but you did not respond," she mentioned with an implied question.

"Um, yeah, sorry 'bout that. I sort of sleep during the day now. Happens when I work here and am relieved from school," Robin explained, "But yeah, um, how is the hotel?"

A loud crashing sound of something breaking was heard in the background and Starfire tensed, "Um, it is going as you would say, as well as it could."

Robin felt a wave of guilt, "Yeah, I would have brought you guys here, but well, I don't think Batman is exactly prone to letting me invite guests over at the moment... And Alfred would murder me for the mess that Cyborg and Beast Boy would make."

Starfire smiled (though she was still confused at who Alfred was) and replied, "I suppose, but Robin, why do you not believe that the Batman would not want guests?"

Robin sighed, "Just trust me, Star. He's not exactly the most social person and I don't even think he... particularly... even wants me here at the moment."

At her surprised look, Robin added, "he's stressed, that's all."

He didn't exactly want to tell her about that. No need to worry her. Definitely no need to do that. Starfire nodded in understanding, though she sensed his reluctance.

"It was really, really amazing, last night: your knowledge of Gotham," she told him, changing the subject to a lighter one.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, well, that's what happens when you grow up someplace. You know it by heart I guess," Robin told her.

Starfire nodded, "Yes, Tamaran is the same for me. And for a first time in Gotham, it was very much so a fun one."

Robin laughed and Starfire did the same, but soon silence followed between the two. Robin looked down at his feet. Now what? He hated these awkward silences; it always felt so unbearably long to handle, to take. Starfire was the one to break it.

"Robin?"

"Yeah, Star?"

"Does, does your mentor, does the Batman not like the 'teams'?" she asked.

Well that was a surprise question. At first. When he thought about it, he realized why she had asked it. Batman had neither been friendly nor accommodating to any of his teammates the night before as the Titans had patrolled the city with the Dynamic Duo. It had nearly been a disaster, but then again, when no one talks, no disasters can begin. He and Batman hadn't said more than ten words to each other. But he could still tell that Bruce wasn't at all happy with the team up and was glad when the teams dispersed.

"Um, not, no, it's not that. I mean, he's part of the Justice League and all, you know, but he, he just doesn't like all the, uh, variables it creates for him. He likes it simple, you know?" Robin tried.

He hoped that helped and thankfully Starfire seemed to drop the subject after that. Then he saw her eyes looking off behind him and he turned to see nothing but his bedroom. Confused he raised a brow and she replied.

"Um, you are in your room?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" he replied.

"It is, the grandeur," she told him.

"Oh, yeah, Batman and I, we, we kind of... yeah," he answered, blushing slightly.

Identities. Secret identities. None of the Titans knew he was Dick Grayson, but he knew who they were. Starfire had always been so patient with him. She never asked, never prodded. She respected him and was content with what he told her. Maybe he should tell her. Why not? She'd never given him a reason not to trust her and he... He should. She was special to him. While evidently, if he told her, the rest of the Titans would discover who he was, but that still didn't seem like a big deal either. It was time he was honest with her. He might not be a knight in shining armor. He might be just the lowly squire in this comparison to a fantasy, but, somehow, he didn't think she'd care. He... An idea hit him and somehow, it came with confidence.

Robin questioned, "Um, Starfire?"

"Yes, Robin?" She asked.

He felt his hand get sweaty. Great, he had just showered too, "Do you... do you want a real tour of Gotham?"

"Huh?" She was caught off guard by the question, but... did he? "You would give us a tour?"

"Well, I, um, I meant, do you want a tour?" Robin emphasized and bit his lip.

"Like a date?" Starfire asked, she felt her own heart flutter momentarily. Was he? Was he asking her...

"Yeah, do you want to, go on a date with me?" he asked.

"I..."  
"The real me?" he asked, interrupting her, "Without the mask?"

Starfire's eyes widened and she looked around the dismantled empty hotel room (the others had all gone down to breakfast), almost guarding the question from anyone else and answered enthusiastically, "I... Yes, I would like that. I would like that very much, Robin."

Robin beamed, "Great, I'll, I'll pick you up at your hotel. Eight sound good? Tomorrow?"

"I, yes, it, that is good with me," Starfire replied, feeling herself begin to fly involuntarily.

"Great, great, do you, I don't know, I could treat you to a five star for dinner," Robin told her.

"That sounds, that sounds oh so glorious, Robin. I, I thank you," she replied, blushing.

"Alright, well, okay. I guess I'll see you later, kay?" he asked.

"Yes, of course. I shall you the soon then, Robin," she answered.

"Okay then, well, I'll see ya," he told her.

"I shall see you," he answered back.

The connection disabled. Seconds later Raven entered the room in her gothic clothing, looking very disgruntled at what had probably become of breakfast. But as soon as Raven walked into the room, she caught sight of Starfire's glowing eyes and the inescapable feeling of joy that the empath could sense in her.

"What..." She started hesitantly, but never finished as she found herself in one of Starfire's signature bone-crushing hugs and being lifted into the air.

"I have a date with friend Robin!" Starfire exclaimed, "You must help me prepare!"

Raven looked up at her in shock, but that did nothing to dull the pain in her back. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, Robin did a back-flip onto his bed.

"Yes!!" he yelled.

Finally! Something good was going to happen! He was going on a date with the girl of his dreams. Maybe this would turn out to be a good Halloween for once. But while he took off the mask and continued to smile while he threw his shirt on, someone watched him.

How deluded that sense of joy was.

Slade chuckled. What a perfect night to finish this, come to think of it. So theatrical, to kill the demon lurking in the shadows of Gotham on the last night of the chilly month of October. This city was wearing off on him. Everything was going according to plan. The Dynamic Duo could be considered clueless at this point, but then again, Slade would never leave anything up to assumptions like that. Still, with everything that was going on, it was a pretty safe bet. If Dick looking like he could go out skipping at this point wasn't reason enough to assume such a thing, well, he didn't know what was.

And the Joker had played his role. He had promised the Clown Prince of Crime his role in the game and he had gotten it, along with state of the art robots designed to his ludicrous and insane tastes. Not that it mattered, but still, that was too close. Joker had come too close to shooting the Boy Wonder, something he would have to rectify later.

At the moment, with Joker in Arkham once again, it was not a problem that needed an instant solution. Meanwhile, he could care less about Two-Face's displeasure; the hypocritical mental case would just have to deal with these restrictions till November came. After that, he had no interest in the former Gotham D.A. Ultimately though the important thing about Joker's theatrics was that nothing had happened and he didn't expect to be able to get rid of Ethan so easily. In that regard, Joker had sped things up. Wouldn't Luthor be happy?

Then again, who cared about that maniac business man, anyway?

And sooner or later, his... employee would log on. Slade smiled at the thought. When it had come down to it, he needed someone smart, but fairly stupid. Someone who could take complicated orders without question. Strength over brawn. Insane, but focused. He knew of only one and it embarrassed him to actually be related to them. The line on his computer screen crackled to life. Shame, that name could mean a lot more if someone else was using it. Ravager couldn't see him, but he could see Ravager's smug face on the screen. The moron.

"Wade Defarge," Slade said, "You're ready for the information?"

"No problem, s'longs the pay's good. And you say this will hurt Deathstroke?" he asked, greedily.

Yes, Wade didn't know that he was being hired out by his brother, that's how much of an idiot he was, "I'm sure. Deathstroke's been hired by Luthor to take out your target. You need to take him out first."

"No need to worry about that. Much better than that worthless..."

"Mr. Defarge, please, this isn't the time for small talk," Slade told him, "I'm sending the location of where to pick up your map of Wayne Tower, instructions, and equipment. Don't lose it. Do exactly what you were ordered to do, not a half way job."

Ravager laughed, "Don't worry, it's as good as done."

"I'm sure," Slade told him and just as quickly the line was disconnected.

He had to let out a low laugh. 'Even after all these years, Wade.' Well, there was no time to reminisce. Not like he even wanted to, anyway. He sat back in his chair. Everything was in place. Everything. He looked back at his hidden camera. It had taken him ages to perfect the microscopic spy camera and ages more to be able to get it up to speed and capable of getting past Wayne's security witfhout being noticed. His eye followed the face of the young teen. His eyes were marked with happiness.

"Enjoy yourself while you may, Dick," Slade said, "It won't last long."

-T-

Starfire pushed the green dangling diamond earrings through her ear. She remembered being so nervous when she got them with Raven, but that had been nothing compared to the butterfly feelings in her gut right now. She smoothed her purple silk dress and propped up her large curls, just to make sure they stayed, despite the can of hairspray. Raven looked over at her passively, her hood down and her eyes turned downward.

Being Starfire's friend was sometimes hard for her. She was not one to express herself as Starfire did, making their conversations somewhat awkward and abrupt for them both. Still though, she felt some... gratitude towards Starfire, for that emotion that she could never feel, she thought. That was probably why they didn't hate each other. Starfire told her what it was like, to feel (as Raven saw it) and Raven was content with listening and being able to feel empathically what Starfire felt.

"Don't be nervous," Raven told her, plainly.

"Oh, but Raven, he, he is going to tell me who he is. And this is our, it is my first date!" Starfire explained and Raven nodded.

"About time too," Raven told her, "That boy is so slow sometimes."

"Hm?" Starfire asked.

"I'm an empath Starfire; I feel every one's emotions," Raven said, getting out the gloves that Starfire had packed in her suitcase, "It's amazing that you two haven't gone out on a date already in the first place."

"You really believe so, friend Raven?" Starfire inquired as she took the gloves.

Raven looked at her as though that was the dumbest question in the world, "Would you like me to lie to you?"

Starfire laughed, "I suppose not. Thank you. Thank you for helping me prepare, and for being such a good friend."

Raven pulled up her hood, "You're welcome."

"Raven?"

"Yes?" Raven turned her shadowed face to see Starfire smiling.

Starfire looked down at her silver heels, "I hope that, I hope that you feel as happy as I do."

Raven let out a dry laugh, "Thanks, Star, but don't get your hopes up. Besides, I can feel how happy you are right now."

"Well, I am glad then," Starfire told her.

Raven shrugged, "It's a perk of being an empath... Hey, so when's..."

"RAVEN!!" Two yells came from the other room, following some rampaging ruckus.

Bursting through the door between the rooms, the two Titan boys barged right in and were about to receive Raven's wrath for invading the girls' room when she saw who was with them.

"No..." She said shaking her head in disbelief and annoyance.

Starfire gasped, "Red X?"

"Hi!" Red X said, waving and indicated Cyborg holding onto his cape, "Can you tell them to put me down now?"

"What is it that you are doing here?" Starfire asked.  
"This creep stowed away in our luggage!" Cyborg exclaimed, almost sounding indignant about it.

"How did he fit and survive in your suitcase?" Raven asked, half angry, half bewildered.

"Well, I got out when you guys made pit stops and I was able to fit in their gaming bag, which was good because the next biggest bag was Beast Boy's and I don't think he did his laundry before..."

"Raven, I thought you told him to stay put!" Beast Boy accused.

"I told Red X that he was to stay at the Tower," she said, forcefully.

"Hey, I don't have to listen to you. And besides, no one knows me in Gotham. I could almost pass for a Titan here, not that I'd want to," Red X countered and then he caught sight of Starfire in her formal dress, "And man, if I get to dance with you in that, I'd say that it was all worth..."

The phone rang and startled them all. Starfire flew over, thankfully for Red X, who would have been the victim of her impulse to incinerate him, and answered the phone, "Hello?"

_"Yes, Ms. Anders?"_ A patron asked, using Starfire's code name that she was using while staying at the hotel. They had all taken up these names so that could keep a low profile in order to not draw the attention of an attacker's eye.

"Yes, this is I," she answered.

"There's a young gentleman waiting in the entrance hall for you. Shall I inform him if you will be down soon?"

Starfire gasped and replied back promptly, "Yes, yes, tell him I shall be down the stairs immediately."

"I shall," the patron responded.

With that, the patron hung up and Starfire squealed, "I must be off, friends."

"You're not going to help us with this dude?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, I must go, you shall be able to handle him. Farewell friends! I shall be back late," Starfire exclaimed, before rushing out the door and into a maid, who handed her a newspaper and continued on.

She looked at the front page in which a man stood with the mayor, and a teenage boy by his side with jet black hair. The caption read _"Bruce Wayne and ward, Dick Grayson, meet with Mayor about Project Firewall."_

She shrugged and put the paper by the door. She had to get downstairs where Robin must be waiting. And in fact he was. Dick paced back and forth, rubbing his hand against his neck and checking his cologne. He hoped it wasn't too much. He remembered everything up until that point. He remembered getting ready and having Alfred run through half the house trying to find his good jacket. Poor Alfred, he had never seemed so rushed. Bruce hadn't noticed. He had just walked out the door on the way to his meeting. Shame he had to work on Halloween, but then again, Dick's concern for Bruce's meeting was about as much as Bruce's concern for his night out with Starfire. He hadn't even told Bruce about it. He really hadn't thought to and Bruce hadn't thought to ask.

Dick looked around. He knew people were looking at him. He wasn't totally unrecognizable in Gotham. And why not? The fact that he happened to be a multi-millionaire's ward wouldn't add to that at all, oh no. He pulled at his collar while others watched him. From a hidden camera, Slade watched as he sat back in his chair in his office and flexed his fingers. Just a little while longer. Another watcher though, felt excited with anticipation, and as anxious as Dick did. Starfire felt her heart beat in her chest and hoped that the coconut-cherry spice perfume wasn't too much. She stepped down the steps towards a teenager with gel-slicked, jet-black hair.

Hearing someone coming down, the teen spun around and Starfire caught sight of the Boy Wonder's eyes for the very first time. Blue. Clear. Brilliant blue. They sparkled as a large grin came to his face and she suddenly recognized him. Starfire made her way down the steps slowly as they faced each other.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she answered.

"Um, Star, I... I don't know what to call you other than, well..." Robin whispered.

Starfire smiled, "My formal name is Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, but, here, I have decided to go by 'Kory Anders'."

"Kory," Dick said, the name felt so right for her too, "Um, well, Kory, my real name is Dick, Dick Grayson."

Starfire beamed, never looking anywhere but his eyes, his wonderful eyes, "Dick... It is, it is glorious to meet you."  
It felt good to use his real name for the first time.

Dick smiled, "Well, shall we?"

He held out his arm for her and she took it with a smile. They made their way out of the hotel and into the limo where Alfred was waiting with a warm smile. Starfire looked at Dick who returned her smile. This was going to be the best night of her life.

-T-

**A/N:** Aww, isn't that sweet? Don't you love it? I really loved it. RobinXStarfire all the way, that's for sure. Now, I do have Chapter Sixteen done, but I'm going to wait a bit to update (but only a bit, like a day or two, well maybe a week). I do hope that I can hear people's input and reactions to this chapter before then, so yeah. Please review! I hope you all enjoyed it! Stay cool everyone! Later!

Rena


	16. Chapter 16: All Hallow's Eve Oct 31

**Disclaimer:** You're kidding right? I couldn't own Teen Titans or Batman even if I wanted to (and I so want to). Curse you copyright laws! But not really :)

**Author's Note:** See, this is what happens when you have someone pester you to update. You update! And it feels oh so good. Anyways, as I said in the last chapter, this used to be one big chapter. So what you're about to read is a continuation of Chapter Fifteen in this special segment of our story. Now let's remember where we were. Starfire and Robin, I'm sorry, I mean, Kory Anders and Dick Grayson (YES!!) are just starting their date which we all hope will be romantic and stuff while meanwhile big bad Slade is well, about to do something... -bites lip uncertainly, then shrugs- Well, at least I know this is certainly going to be a chapter that I will not easily forget. I guess this where I shut up and let you read then, right? :-D "Chapter Sixteen: All Hallow's Eve"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Interlude: October 31st**

**Chapter Sixteen: All Hallow's Eve**

"Evening, Mademoiselle," Alfred said, opening the door for her.

"Evening... um..." Kory started, uncertainly

"Kory, this is Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred, this is Kory Anders," Dick introduced them.

"It is my pleasure," Alfred said and Kory could hear the older man's refined British tone.

As Alfred drove off with the two teens in the back, someone in the hotel called the local paper. This would fit perfectly under the gossip column. "Dick Grayson dates visiting Princess". Turning out to be just like Wayne, probably, but who knew? Didn't care how the papers saw that, but at least the boy looked like his head was still on his shoulders. Wish they could remember what this Kory was the princess of, though...

The drive was slow in the traffic so Dick prodded his mind for topics, but Kory was the first to break the silence, "So... Dick, you have really been..."

"Yeah, kinda," Dick laughed, "Couldn't tell you guys before 'cause of Bruce."

She nodded, "Is, um, is Mr. Wayne... him?"

Dick nodded back with a warm smile, "Well, kind of, guess I can't keep that from you anymore either, can I? But, yeah, he's not my dad, though. When I was about nine or eight I guess, I, well..."

Dick added a laugh into the mix to dull the pain, "I was um, in a circus. Haly's Circus. And my parents and I were, uh, high-wire and trapeze artists. One day, though, my parents were killed by performing by a guy named Anthony Zucco..."

Kory sucked in a breath quietly as Dick continued, "He put acid on their performance wires and they always performed without a net. So they, yeah, they died. But Bruce, he was in the crowd that night and in short, I went to live with him and he taught me how to be Robin."

There was a pause for a moment, in which Dick couldn't make heads or tales of what Kory thought, "Kory?"

"Hm? Oh, I am sorry. I just, I did not expect that, but it does make the sense now," Kory told him, hoping this had not been too painful to bring up.

Then again, Dick didn't seem like in bothered him much. Maybe at one point it really had bothered him. Or maybe he was just putting it all lightly and that way he could ignore any pain that came with it. To think though, it was almost incredible, that their leader had been born out of such a tragedy and still be so positive. And from what she had seen, he was so much so the opposite in tone in comparison to the Batman... Mr. Wayne.

She looked up at him, "Dick, does... Does Mr. Wayne mind that you have, well, told me about him?"  
Dick thought for a moment and decided to ignore his actual honest answer, "Don't worry about that. He's doesn't even know about this date; he has some meeting that he has to go to. And besides, he should trust me on things like this."

At least that last part was true. Kory nodded when the car began to pull over and they both looked up. Outside was a elegant restaurant in Midtown Gotham, one that Dick had often heard Bruce talk about: The Constellation. Alfred came around and opened up the limo's door where Dick got out and helped Kory out as well.

Dinner was excellent. Their conversations were lively and yet relaxed. The best thing was that it was private. Dick told her about growing up with Bruce while she would tell him stories about Tamaran. They shared inside jokes and those little embarrassing moments that they hadn't told anyone else about before. They ate casually, catching glances of each other's eyes and then quickly looking away, embarrassed. Dick chose the safe choices, the pastas, while Kory dared to try the oriental originals, such as spark cooked squid and eel, making Dick gape at her as she ate it greedily. And all the while, they would catch glances of the other looking at them with a glint of spark in their eyes and a smile on the corner of their lips. Then the other would blush and they'd continue on with their dinner. Their dessert was their filler, a chocolate-peanut butter cheesecake.

Kory wiped her lips with one of the soft napkins while Dick paid for the dinner and tipped the waiter. Dick looked down at their hands and gently touched her fingers as they went for the door. Feeling his fingers, Kory smiled and finished the action by lacing them together. It had been quiet up till then. He expected to meet Alfred outside, but instead, a throng of flashes met his eyes. Star held onto his arm tightly as people pushed recorders into their faces and blinded them with their cameras, surprising her. The press, great. Just Great! Dick hadn't expected this, but come to think of it, he should have.

"Grayson! Grayson! A photo!"

"Princess! Give us a..."

"Care to comment...!"

"Just one photo!"

"Who is she?!"

"How long have you been dating?!"

Dick looked over and between flashes he saw an alleyway to their right, "Come on."

Using a bit more than what one would call average strength, Dick and Kory forced their way through the crowd and ran for it. Dick held her hand and led her to the alleyway as the crowd of paparazzi attempted to follow them. They turned the corner and he nodded upward. When the camera men and writers got to the alleyway, they found it empty. Some rushed ahead, believing a woman really couldn't be that fast in heels while others left defeated. Above them, Kory hovered in the air, Dick holding onto her. Once the paparazzi were gone, he laughed, to Kory's surprise.

She landed on a nearby roof. Her hair was almost straight now and he was getting out a mask to put on as she asked him, "Dick... does your... connection to Mr. Wayne make you the celebrity?"

Dick looked at her in surprise, "Well, sort of, I guess. Never thought of it that way. But that's the first time they did that. Guess it's 'cause I'm getting older now."

Kory nodded and commented, "He is the Knight and you, the Squire?"

Dick was taken back a bit, but told her, "Yeah, I guess. Hope that's okay with you."

Kory giggled, "I would want a Squire over a Knight any day. The Knights as some would say are 'way too dull'."

Dick smiled and went up to her, "I'm glad, Princess."

Kory smiled, "Shall we continue as Kory and Dick or..."

"Let's show off a little," Dick said, putting on the black mask.

He loosened his shirt and jacket while she waited. Once he was ready, she walked over to him and he put his arm over her shoulder and she her arm under his. Flying up into the air, Robin felt the breeze softly hit his face. For about an hour, he directed her over Gotham, showing her the areas he had called home since he was a kid. As they approached the uptown island of Gotham, Dick noticed a small carnival nearby, no doubt for the Halloween festivities. Funny, it didn't feel like Halloween to him. He directed Starfire to land near a man with some colorful cones. Robin told Starfire to wait and ran over to the man, handed him something and went back to Starfire.

"Why is it that we have landed here?" She asked.

"Just watch Star, you'll like this," Robin told her.

Suddenly, a whirl of sound seemed to shoot out of the air and a loud blast rocketed through the skies, followed by a blast of color. Starfire gasped, "The fireworks of your world!"

"Yeah, thought you'd like 'em," Robin told her.

Starfire looked at him, "Robin, do you want to see them?"

"Huh?"

Starfire held out her hand and Robin finally got what she was asking. He looked at her quizzically, "You're not going to kill me for a horrible date, are you?"

Starfire shook her head. Robin smiled. They both kicked off their shoes and got ready for another flight. Robin took her hand and felt himself being lifted into the air once again that night, straight for the fireworks. The blasts were incredible (and loud), but between them, he could hear the bands playing below. He looked up at Starfire who's eyes were dancing with the lights. She brought him gracefully up to her eye level. Then again, she was always graceful. The rockets fired away, but Starfire kept it so that they were never hit, sometimes dodging at the last moment to give Robin something to laugh at after the narrow miss. For a moment, the rockets had a pause and Starfire looked over to see Robin looking at the ground.

"Robin, what is wrong?" She asked.

"I... I just wish I could be the one flying," He said, smiling off-handily, "I wanted to carry you."

Starfire smiled sweetly at him, "Robin, in more ways than the one, you already have."

Robin looked up at her. Wow. He looked harder. She... She was so beautiful. So lovely. So perfect. So patient. So cute. So loving and considerate and kind and passionate and joyful. He felt his heart racing. It was at this moment that he realized how close they were. Him depending on her for the moment to keep him up in the air. She being steadfast and steady for him. More than anything, he wanted to stay with her. Right now. Forever. Right then, all he could see was her. He held onto her, their hands and arms locked together. Their faces, inches if not centimeters away from the others'. Their eyes never wavered. Were they even breathing? Were they alive? Were they in heaven? He didn't know.

"Starfire?"

"Yes?"

Robin felt his heart aching and Starfire felt her own racing. Somehow, they both knew how the other felt. So right. So wonderful. So out of this world. So... so... was there even a word for it? Starfire looked into his masked eyes. How amazing, dazzling... enchanting... they... were... She felt her heart stop for a moment as everything slowed. Robin inched towards her and she reciprocated the action. She was so angelic and he was so protective. He was so incredible and she was so loyal. They didn't want to let go. This had to be what people sought after in life. This had to... They were so close to feeling the other's lips on their own...

**_Beep. Beep. Beep._**

They pulled apart as Robin blushed and picked his cell phone from his pocket to open it for a text, _'Master Dick, if you could land... Master Bruce...'_

Robin looked down to see Alfred and the limo parked below. A loud boom sounded behind them and the last firework erupted. Blushing awkwardly again, Robin nodded towards the ground and they landed and put on their shoes. They were very quiet, but they held one another's hand as they walked toward the car where Robin had told Alfred to meet them. Before walking over, Starfire put her hair in a bun and Robin took off the mask. Alfred smiled as he saw the tired couple walking towards them. He opened the car door and Kory got in, but before Dick could follow, Alfred held Dick back for a moment.

"You're presence is requested by Master Bruce," The butler told him

Dick's eyes shot up, "Huh?"

"Do not ask me why," Alfred told him.

"Well, just... now?" Dick asked.

"I believe so," Alfred answered, "I would not have called you down if I did not believe that he was serious about it."

Dick thought for a moment and sighed, "Well, just drop me off at Wayne Tower. That's where he is, right?"

"Indeed," Alfred answered.

"You'd give Kory a ride back to the hotel, right?"

Alfred answered, "You would think I that wouldn't?"

Dick smiled at the butler and got into the car. As they took off, Dick sat next to Kory and she rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't ask why they had to end it; she was content and happy none the less by just being with him. And despite Dick's sense of foreboding, he still felt a huge amount of joy in his bones.

"Sorry 'bout this, Star," He told her.

"It is quite alright, Robin," She told him.

"Thank you, for tonight," He said.

"I thank you too," She replied.

Wayne Tower came into their presence all too soon. As Dick stepped out, he looked back at Kory one more time. She was so beautiful, inside and out, and all that. Way better looking than any other girl. 'Cause she was his star. His star. Wow. He felt a shiver run down his back.

"Bye, Star," He said in a whisper.

"Farewell, Robin," She answered, her emerald eyes sparkling.

He smiled at her. Carefully, Dick shut the car door and watched as Alfred drove off. Dick felt his heart swell. Wow... So this is what it felt like to be love sick? He'd gladly be that any day. Running up the steps, taking them two at a time, Dick approached the near deserted Wayne Tower. Wow. Just, wow. How cool was that? He'd just gone out on the best date of his life. Wow!

He passed the front entrance with ease. Dick was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he nearly bumped into a brown haired woman who seemed to be in charge of security and was angrily talking to two men. If it hadn't been for his inside knowledge and frequent visits he would have never made it up to the top floor of the Tower. Dick walked up to the silver, diamond encrusted elevators. The ride went fairly quick, but Dick didn't notice. When the doors opened to the empty waiting area and he stepped out, the biggest, most stupid grin remained on his face right up until he opened the modern stained glass doors to Bruce's office and saw Bruce leaning against the front of his desk, arms crossed and a perturbed look on his face.

That's when the grin left.

Dick felt himself tense up. He looked down at the ground while his posture automatically shifted into a soldier stance and waited for whatever lecture that was coming. Because, of course, there was always a lecture. A senseless lecture. A pointless lecture. A reprimanding lecture. A 'don't get yourself killed' lecture. A 'you messed up' lecture. Which one would it be this time? Which ever one it was, Dick knew he wasn't going to like it. Bruce stood up straight, bringing himself to his full height and making Dick feel all that smaller. He walked to the side of his desk, but neglected any sigh of regret.

"Where were you tonight?"

Dick felt his chest tighten as he answered, "You know where I was."

"Where were you tonight?" Bruce asked again, anger this time lacing his tone.

The man wasn't in the mood, but then again, Dick wasn't either. He was actually suddenly angry, "I was on a date! What? That actually matters to you?"

"I thought I told you to be out on patrol early tonight," Bruce demanded, "It's near twelve and you still haven't even put on a suit."

"Then what's this tux?" Dick spat, smart-mouthing him.

Bruce finally turned to him with a sneer, "Don't play dumb with me, Dick. You know very well what happens in this town on Halloween. Men die on the streets. Woman go missing. Children get kidnapped. Barbara once got kidnapped and she was only one of the lucky ones."

"Then why are you lecturing me and not out there right now yourself?" Dick yelled, snapping his head up at Bruce.

"Watch your tone," Bruce scolded.

Their eyes locked furiously, neither looking anywhere else, as though it was a battle of will power. Dick couldn't believe this guy. Honestly, what had he done? He was a teenager. Most teenagers were partying tonight. He was having an innocent date. Bruce on the other hand, wouldn't take this kind of irritable costly behavior. Not telling him that he wouldn't be out. He would have tried to get out sooner and who knows what could have happened thus far tonight to some unsuspecting civilian. Irresponsible. Irrational. Tonight, people mattered. That didn't give anyone in this room leeway. A date could have been any night but tonight. Dick kept his eyes on Bruce and then he noticed a change in Bruce's look.

Finally, Bruce sighed and walked back around his desk, "Who did you go with?"

"Kory Anders," Dick answered surprised; it was a fair enough question.

"Who?" Bruce asked, unaware of Dick telling him about anyone by name.

"Starfire," Dick clarified.

Bruce's eyes went momentarily wide, then returned to their normal state only more alert and actually, maybe a bit thinner, "Starfire? Your team member?"

"Yes," Dick answered again.

Bruce looked at him in shock, dumbfounded. The man looked off to the side. Dick didn't know where this was going. He watched as Bruce put a hand to his face and his expression scrunched up in thought. Somehow, Dick didn't like this.

And when Bruce finally repeated the name, it was in no way that Dick wanted to hear, "Kory Anders? Kory Anders!?"

Dick stepped back defensively, "What?"

Bruce walked to the front again and threw out his arm in frustration, "Do you... please do not tell me that you did what I think you did..."

Dick opened his mouth, barely able to get the words out thanks to Bruce's reaction, but then a rage from deep inside him erupted and he dared to step forward again, "You mean tell her I was Dick Grayson? The poor kid that Bruce Wayne felt sorry for? Yeah! I told her. Kind of hard to go out on a date with her otherwise, don't you think?"

Bruce's wrath flared, "Oh my..."

But he paused, as though unable to finish his sentence. Dick watched as Bruce looked from side to side as though trying to look at anything but him. The man's expression was now frustrated and he was deep in thought. All this in one night. Bruce didn't want to have to deal with it. But their identities...

He turned towards his desk and brought a hand to his face again, "Dick, what have you done?"

_What had he done?_ No. No way was this... _No!_

"I've told my best friend who I am! I don't see where that's a problem!" Dick screamed, demanding attention to the fact that he was human; perhaps Bruce didn't like that.

"And in doing so, you realize that you've just compromised half of the Justice League's identities, not to mention, my own?" Bruce asked lividly, "You realize that, Dick!?"

"She's not going to kill anyone!" Dick yelled.

"She's an alien," Bruce pointed out, "She's not from Earth and her galaxy shows little signs of weakness. They've been warring each other for nearly a century. How do you know that she hasn't just been playing you all along?"

Dick looked at Bruce in disbelief, but answered firmly, "Because I know her and I know what it's like to be betrayed and I know she'd never do that!"

"Don't start that, Dick," Bruce said, trying to avoid the subject of Dick's departure when in reality, Dick was referencing Terra's betrayal of the Titans.

"Fine, but how come I'm not allowed to date and have a friend that's an alien when you're friends with Superman, the most powerful alien of them all? Xenophobic about him too, Bruce?" Dick accused.

"Kryptonite is an easy tool to disable him," Bruce answered coldly.

_"Mr. Wayne, Ms. Kyle was hoping that you were in and able to attend a party..."_

"Not Now!" Bruce yelled and turned off the connection from receptionist at the front entrance.

On the bottom level below, Selina tapped her foot while on the roof, someone found the windows to Bruce's office just like the map had said.

"Nice, Bruce, really. What about Selina, Bruce? Huh? What about the fact that you're dating a wanted thief? What's that about? I think Superhero Alien is a much better taste in women," Dick added sarcastically.

"Do you even..."

There were so many other people at the moment living other lives. Everywhere else, people continued on with their lives. Across town in the boys' room, Cyborg hit Red X over the head with the remote. In Metropolis, Clark filed some final papers, having to work late with Lois and Jimmy that night. Oliver Queen was laughing at the morons whose butts he was kicking while being the Robin Hood of Star City. Commissioner Gordon relaxed in his office, waiting for midnight so that he could leave. Princess Diana sparred with a fellow Amazon for training. Starfire entered her room, love-struck while Raven attempted to sleep with all of the noise coming from the other room. But the fight in Wayne Tower raged and would soon effect everyone.

"No! Do you even know what I've been through! I've paid attention to your stupid rules! I've tried to be cold and heartless! And I don't want to be! I like being able to love someone!"

"And you realize that if it weren't for your team, you could have gotten shot the other day. Your concern for that alien nearly cost you your life."

The figure on the roof got ready: this would be cake.

"Oh, so we're incapable, is that it!?"

"Actually, considering their performance and interference the past couple days, I'd guess that Ethan could still be alive if it weren't for them!"

"Oh, so that's why you're so bitter about Ethan's death to me? It's my fault?! Sorry for my team helping then!"

"They shouldn't be here; they create too many additional factors," Bruce countered.

"Is that what the Clark and Diana do to you Bruce? Create more 'additional factors'?" Dick threw back, his hands clenched tight into fists.

"They're adults and can handle themselves," Bruce told him, "Your team is learning. You're no where near the level of the JLA."

Dick sneered, "Thanks a lot Bruce. Really, I'm glad that I'm no where near your level of coldness!"

Ravager loaded the gun and hooked up the tanks to his back.

"This argument is over, Dick," Bruce said, about to go around to his desk, when Dick continued.

"No! I'm so sick of you putting me down all the time! I'm sick of you treating me like a little kid! I'm capable of more than just creating those old catchy lines, Bruce! That's why I left! 'Cause I could handle myself and you would never listen to me about that!"

"Handle yourself?" Bruce asked, "How can you say that when you nearly got shot?"

"I'm always nearly getting shot! It's part of the job description; but I don't see how my well being even interests you anyway!" Dick told him.

That got him, "You don't think your well being concerns me?"

There was no one left in the world that he was even remotely concerned with at the moment. Not the JLA. Not the Teen Titans. Not the JSA or the Outsiders. No one. Not a single soul. Just his ward. There was silence, eerily so and Dick sensed that Bruce was about to let it all out on him.

"You think I don't care about you?"

Dick didn't move as he glared at Bruce, who slowly walked towards him from the wooden desk. He couldn't wait to hear this.

"You think I don't care, when every hour before we go out, I am planning the safest possible routes to keep you safe? When I'm training you, being sure that you're ready to go out so that maniacs like Two-Face will never beat you again? When I'd lay down my own life if you would be alive and healthy?"

Dick wouldn't back down. Why? He didn't believe it. Bruce took the easy way, not the safest. He trained him looking for perfection, which he clearly was not. He'd hold his incapability's over his head for the rest of his life and Dick had let him. Ravager smiled.

"You think I don't care about your well being?" Bruce whispered and looked down at Dick.

"No."

"And why would that be?" Bruce asked, leaning in and challenging the statement.

"How about 'you'd take everything I ever had away'?" Dick asked, finding a silent road blocker.

Bruce returned to his natural stance, silent, unreadable.

"See, you don't care and you sure don't act like it," Dick told him.

There wasn't another chance for Bruce to respond when the windows shattered and a man laughed, a blowtorch in one hand and a gun in the other, lighting the sides of the building on fire. A couple bullets were shot. The man's red and brown suit blazed as he laughed from under his mask as the alarm system sounded.

"BRUCE WAYNE!! Bwhahaha," The intruder yelled, "Meet your doom!"

At one point in time, Dick might have laughed at the statement. Not today though. Both he and Bruce got into a position in which they could fight back if they had to, only with the palms of their hands up and facing this maniac. They had to keep him calm as they weren't exactly the Dynamic Duo from the front page of paper at the moment. Once at least one of them got their chance to leave, they'd strike.

"Who are you?" Bruce said steadily.

"Who am I? Who am I?" The man asked, indignantly, "Name's The Ravager and trust me, I can cause just as much havoc as my name implies."

He was a talker. He could be talked down... possibly. Just not as Wayne and Grayson, that's all.

"What do you want?" Wayne asked as Dick looked between Bruce and Ravager, tense and ready to do something if needed.

"Simple, I take joy in spilling blood, so what does that mean?" Ravager lied, yet at the same time, it was quite entertaining for him.

Dick eyed Ravager's equipment. A blowtorch. A gun. He had been killing all of those people. This was their guy! And he was just a random killer? Bruce noticed the similarities, too. They couldn't let him get away.

"Ravager, there's no point in killing me," Bruce reasoned.

Ravager laughed, "Of course there is, you realize the bounty that's on your head? I was already in the neighborhood, thought, why not? Now how shall it be?"

Bruce raised a brow, hoping to stall as Ravager continued, "I could burn ya alive or I could shoot ya, strangle ya, beat the livin' daylights out of ya."

"You can't think that I'm going to go along with this," Bruce asked calmly.

Ravager was taken aback by this and then his eyes caught Dick. Walking over, he let the blowtorch fall to the side and grabbed Dick by the shirt, bringing the gun up to the boy's head, "Maybe I'll just blow the kid's brains out instead, then you'd have blood on your hands."

Dick didn't struggle, but he held his breath and tried not to think about the hot barrel that was being pushed against his skull. He hated having to pretend like he couldn't do anything. He held onto Ravager's arm, hoping that the man would let go, but he wouldn't. There wasn't a chance of that. Bruce's startled expression got Ravager's attention.

"Don't you dare harm him," Bruce seethed.

"Oh, why not? What you going to do?" Ravager taunted.

Bruce stood still and tensed.

"I've never killed anyone so young, but I wouldn't mind givin' it a try," Ravager said continuing, looking down at Dick, who had beads of sweat forming on his face. From somewhere, Dick heard liquid move and swish around.

"You don't want him, Ravager. You came here to get me. Not him. Please, let him go," Bruce asked, calmly but tensely all the same.

Ravager chuckled and threw Dick to the ground to the right. Dick quickly got up. Again, if he were younger, he would have snapped something witty at the murderer, but he wasn't ten. He was sixteen. This guy worried him. He tried to fight off the fresh memory of the barrel's feeling. Dick then noticed that the fire's smoke began to drift outside as the fire slowly spread around the edges of the room.

"So, then, tell me, what does the famous Bruce Wayne want his final words to be?" Ravager threw at him.

Bruce held his fists, "You're not going to get away with this, Ravager."

Dick finally added to the conversation trying to keep Ravager talking, "You're a coward with a gun!"

Ravager then turned, actually interested in Dick, "You think a coward could carry a gun, kid?"

He pointed the gun at Dick again between his eyes, but Bruce redirected his attention, "You're forgetting me, Ravager. I'm over here; is your eyesight really that bad?"

Infuriated, he turned to Wayne, and Ravager yelled at the insult, "You know what? When I'm done with you, I'm gonna burn down this Tower and let it look like the end of the world had swallowed it up and spit it back out. This place will be nothing but a pile of rubble with your sad excuse of a corpse at the top of the pile."

Slade watched the scene from a spy camera. The three vigilantes all facing each other. He wasn't pleased so far. His dear half-brother could get so easily distracted. Perhaps the man needed a little reminder of what he was here to do.

"Ravager, you don't have to do this. I could pay you triple the bounty. Just put the gun down and let's talk. I can write you a check right now. I wouldn't even try to trace it. Just leave Dick and I alone," Bruce offered.

They had to get out, now. This was taking way too long. Ravager looked intrigued, but something sounded in his ear. Bruce and Dick watched tensely, not knowing why the man had stopped mid-interest.

_"Your brother will get there first, upping you. How humiliating."_

Ravager's eyes flared with anger, "No, you know what?"

Bruce and Dick kept their hands up still, not to startle the man who was obviously enraged, but that was the last thing they should have done.

"This is taking way too long!" Ravager announced and pulled his gun out to face Bruce.

If Dick was Superman, he would have seen Ravager pull the trigger. If he was Superman, he would have been able to see through Ravager's mask and the smile plastered onto his face. If he was Superman, he would have seen the two bullets being released in slow-mode thanks to super-speed. If he was Superman, he would have been able to reflect the bullets against his chest in an instant. But Dick was just Dick Grayson. And what he saw was far more... human... and fatal.

_**BANG! BANG!**_

And all he saw was Ravager pull the trigger twice. He heard two loud gun shots sound through the air. He saw Bruce attempt to dodge, but Bruce was only human and even a near perfected human body couldn't dodge what the Flash could. He saw the impacts of the bullets hit Bruce in the chest and he heard the sound of fabric tearing as the bullets went out the other way.

Bruce could survive anything. Underneath, he always wore a part of his Batsuit. Especially the chest and that was designed to survive anything. Anything!

Anything but a straight shot.

Like those.

Dick saw Bruce's face contort. Then blood began to seep down onto his suit, one directly by the heart. Dick was frozen in horror. No. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't shot. His eyes and his ears were fooling him. No, this couldn't... Now his eyesight was giving way to the water filling up on the rims of his eyes. He was able to see Bruce fall backwards towards the ground. And as he watched, Dick was able to catch a small glimpse of Bruce's eyes looking directly at him, giving him all the terror, panic, and sorrow he needed.

Bruce's eyes were calm, but strong, ready, telling him to do the same. To take care of them, all of them, himself. Saying everything, in one look, it was a look that both haunted and paralyzed Dick at that moment with fear. Bruce then closed his eyes, seeing Dick had seen him, seen that look. That's all he needed to do. That's all.

_No!_

The Dark Knight fell to the ground and hit hard... He couldn't... This couldn't be happening. Bruce couldn't... He just... No! NO!! Dick shook his head finally and felt the tears beginning to fall without his say so. Then it all came out as the shock left him and instinct boiled through his body.

_**"NO!! BRUCE!! BRUCE!!"**_ Dick screamed, desperately wanting his yells to do something, anything, _anything!_

But Bruce didn't move. He was a motionless figure lying on the floor of his office. Too much like six years ago. Too much like the last two. Too much like Mom and Dad. Too much... Dick tried to run, to make his way over to him, to help him, he had to, all the while knowing that he could very well find more blood to stain his helpless hands.

But he found mid yell that someone was still in the room and kept him back, _**"BRUC..."**_

"Shut up, kid!" Ravager told him, throwing him across the room and into a pillar.

He hit his head hard, yelped, and fell to the ground, dizzy. Stupid, he should have... Where... As he got to his knees, he looked over at Bruce's form and saw Ravager pouring a tank of liquid that had been in his backpack onto Bruce and the area around him, cutting him off completely. He began to feel the heat from the flames.

Ravager took out the blowtorch and walked over to the broken windows.

_Oh no._

Ravager pulled one more trigger.

_**BOOM!!**_

Dick screamed as the floor rumbled and shook angrily.

On the streets a loud blast rocketed through the sky and people looked up at the center building. The pride and joy of Gotham: Wayne Tower, in smoke and engulfed in a heavy inferno of flames. Dick laid in the smoking room on the ground that threatened him with instability, while whispering...

"Bruce... Bruce..."

It was so hot. Wooden beams began to crackle and fall. He could feel his own blood leaking from cuts in his skin and sweat mingling with it to accommodate him in this heat. He heard something moving debris, someone...

"I.. I'm... sorry..."

Someone saw him, as they moved away from the hottest of the flames.

"Bruce... bruce... please... I... please..."

The flames began to eat the place away. He had been so happy up until that point that night. His wonderful evening, gone, but that was the least of his worries. The charred office he was in no longer resembled its former glory, surely not the place where he and Bruce were arguing mere minutes before. Arguing, stupid... He hated himself for it. One last tear fell as that night, as the Gotham Clock sounded off the end of all Hallow's Eve. Dick's blurred vision picked up a figure, thin, dark purple. He felt their gentle leathered hands on his face, but he couldn't take it anymore. In seconds, Dick succumbed to the pain in his lungs that burned from the smoke and slipped into unconsciousness.

Inside the office, off to the side, a paper burned. A newspaper on what was once a chair, Bruce's chair.

**"Dynamic Duo Back!" **screamed across its front page.

It didn't last long as the flames slowly, bit by bit, ate it. Ate it all away. Meanwhile, across town, Slade let a rare moment of sick laughter escape him as he smiled at the scene on the news as Wayne Tower's inferno roared.

**End Of Part Three**

-T-

**A/N:** Cries intensely. Then yells "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR IT!!" Cries some more, heart breaking, has a heart attack, needs to go to the hospital to be revived. Is back again and is crying more. I'm so sorry, it had to happen. It had to. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but that's just how it had to be. I beg of you to not shun me. In fact, maybe if you review and tell me what a horrible person I am, it will somehow reprimand me for my wrong doings. I'm sorry! Cries more. How could I? That's not right! That's just... Ah! Cries more. Please don't kill me. I beg of you to not hate me for this. Please keep reading. I promise, if you can forgive me for this, it'll all be worth it. Please, I'm, I'm sorry! I do hope you review, though. Please? Hope this didn't just ruin someone's day, but hey, it's not the end of the world, right? Right? I hope so. Well, later everyone! Stay cool (unlike me at the moment)!

Rena


	17. Chapter 17: A Fallen Knight Pt 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; I don't even think they'd let me touch Batman or the Titans or anyone else after what I did in the last chapter... -cowers-

**Author's note:** Peaks out of hiding place, uh... is it safe? Hope so, been living like I'm going to get sniped because of the last chapter for the last week, lol. Well, I guess I've got several things to say here. One is that amazingly, I'm updating rather quickly now. Also, I was surprised at the reviews. There seemed to be two reactions: major anger and crying or extreme confidence in the Dark Knight and his Squire. Overall, I'm really glad to hear everyone's reactions and so I want to say thank you all very much for taking the time to leave those reviews. Oh, and I'd like to thank HiKari Mokuba's Guardian for helping me think up a Chapter title and design the Part title as well. But yeah, so I guess you're wondering what the heck is going to happen now, right? Well, that's why I posted this. So on we go to the next section of the story: "Chapter Seventeen: A Fallen Knight"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part Four: On My Own?**

**Chapter Seventeen: A Fallen Knight**

The crisp cold wind brushed past Dick's collar and ruffled it slightly. It was very quiet, save for a few birds calling and leaves gently falling in the surrounding area. There was hardly any movement. But Dick knew what was coming. The silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps in a march, slow and direct. Dick couldn't look up. He could only look down at the ground. But he knew that all the heads were turning either in two directions. One was at the maple colored casket that was slowly making its way down the aisle and the other was at him. But he couldn't move. He couldn't look. Beside him, Alfred stood to his left and Clark to his right. Diana stood next to Clark at the end of the aisle. It was unbearable.

Dick's memory was a blur. He couldn't quite think straight. In some ways, he didn't want to. The past few days had been chaos in his mind. So many people. So many events. So many... His head hurt. The casket's head came to the front and Diana gulped down a reaction. Dick felt Clark put a hand on his left shoulder and give him a tight squeeze of a hug. But Dick was numb and while Clark had meant to be helpful, Dick really couldn't even register anything at the moment. Alfred looked down at him sadly, wishing he could say something. But... What could you say? What could you say to a teenager in this situation... again?

The casket was placed down on the raised table where flowers filled the surrounding area. Clark nodded over to Diana who walked up to the pulpit that had been erected outside for the procession.

"Friends, guests, I want on behalf of the Wayne Family to thank you all for coming today. It's a hard..." She stopped mid-sentence, something caught in her throat, "A hard time for all of us, I'm... I'm sure..."

Dick's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't pay attention to what was happening. He had to make sense of things. Because at the moment, nothing made sense. His mind drifted off to three days ago. To the night of the fire. He didn't remember everything. He had... passed out a couple times, but the others had told him what had happened. Whatever had happened, he was sure of only one thing. The past few days had been the worst days of his life. And somehow, the events were ending. Wrapping up here. But he had never in his life, never... Never, had he ever felt so entirely lost.

-T-

Catwoman kept her head down low. The heat was unbearable and she could feel her suit beginning to stick to her skin even more so then usual. It had been easy to get up to the top. But right now, where she was, it looked like a war zone. She could smell burning flesh and that was the worst part. Bruce had to be up here. There had been no sign of him coming down. Not one. She hoped that the odor of burning flesh was not his. Catwoman gagged at the smoke. She couldn't stay long. She had to find him.

It was then that she heard someone whispering through the crackles of the flames. Something incoherent, but they were talking. That meant they were alive. She quickly made her way over to the sound, but was surprised to find not Bruce, but his ward on the ground barely conscious. Catwoman looked around. There was no sign of Bruce and as much as she sometimes detested this kid, she was by no means just going to leave him here to die.

"Hey, Dick, come on, get up!" She urged as she put her hands to his face and tried to shake him to get him up, but it was then that she realized that the kid was out of it.

Grunting, Catwoman heaved Dick's limp arm over her shoulder. Standing fully upright, she then noticed something. A form, someone under a large pile of rubble that was lit ablaze.

"Bruce..." She whispered, then instincts kicked in and she yelled as she tried to move towards him, "BRUCE! BRU...!"

Catwoman screamed as a large pile of rubble from the ceiling fell in front of her, cutting her off from Bruce. The smell was horrible in here. She looked at Dick her side, then where Bruce would have been, then back at Dick, and where Bruce was again. She couldn't save them both. If she stayed to get Bruce, they could all die. She had to move quickly. Heaving Dick up over her shoulders, Catwoman made her way over to the elevator shaft and kicked open the doors which fell down several flights.

She tied her whip around Dick and herself tightly; she'd need both hands for this. Jumping down, Catwoman went into a free fall. As neared the sides of the shaft, she'd kick away lightly and so on and so forth. The ground came into sight just as Catwoman noticed burning debris falling around her, too. Quickly grabbing onto the elevator's wires, Catwoman felt the jolt and shock that took all of her strength and the heat from the friction that instantly went through to her hands. She kicked off to the side and grabbed a beam, feeling her arms almost being pulled out of their sockets. But they had stopped and Dick was safe. All of this happened within ten seconds. She had to do better than that. She fell the last two flights on her feet and heaved Dick towards the exit.

Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Clark yawned while Lois continued to type on the computer. A smile and bright eyes lit up her face while Clark and Jimmy were about to call it quits and leave for the night. Their eyes yearned to close.

"Ah ha!" Lois yelled, shaking Jimmy and Clark from their slumberous thoughts.

"Ah! Ah! Where's Luthor!? Where?" Jimmy yelled at no one in particular, the bags under his eyes heavy.

"What is it, Lois?" Clark asked.

"I just finished this section of the editorial. Now all I have to do is the editing," She told him happily, "We'll be out of here in no time!"

"No time?" Jimmy exclaimed, "Lois, it takes you more time to edit a paper then to write it!"

"Lois," Clark began to agree with Jimmy, put decided to put it more nicely, "Do you really need Jimmy and I for this?"

"Of course I do," Lois said smartly, "I need Jimmy to place his photos and it is partly your article, too."

Clark rubbed the back of his neck, "Lois, I just helped do the research; you wrote the whole thing."

"But Clark, you were the spelling champ of Smallville High," Lois said, batting her eyes his way.

Jimmy knew that they lost their argument when she did that. Clark was so in love with that woman, he was surprised that Lois didn't realize it. He half wondered how Clark felt about having Superman for competition, but clued into the conversation when Lois added to her response.

"Why don't you and Jimmy turn on the TV? I'm sure ESPN has something on; they always do," she said.

Clark shrugged and took her advice, grabbing a remote and clicking the on button. The news stations were always the first things on the screens in the Daily Planet's offices, but still, nothing could have prepared Clark for what he was about to see.

_"...Reports that there are still several people inside including billionaire Bruce Wayne and his ward. Witnesses say that the fire erupted from a loud explosion that shook the area..."_ A woman with red hair reported.

Clark's eyes went wide as they enlarged the sight of Wayne Tower's top burning. Lois and Jimmy stopped what they were doing to watch as well, shocked at the reports. Clark's hand dropped to it's side, as the reporter continued.

_"...The fire has been blazing for nearly fifteen minutes and still the firefighters have not been able to reach the top of tall skyscraper. The most that they have been able to do is go in to rescue the few that may be missing, but there has been little success..."_

Clark finally snapped back to reality and backed away from the TV screen, while Lois and Jimmy continued to stare at the screen, hypnotized.

_"... Commissioner Gordon has blocked off the area from civilians, but has yet to comment. We'll be back with more information in a moment..."_

Lois looked at the ground and thought for a moment... Wayne. Wayne was Clark's... "Clark...?"

She spun around to find the area empty and the doors wide open. Her mouth barely dropped before Clark had ripped off his shirt and flew out of the Daily Planet beyond Metropolis. He was in Gotham in seconds and the burning flames were right in plain sight. Superman's heart sped up as he lowered himself to the ground and towards the firefighters.

"What do I need to know?" He yelled over to them, looking up at the building using X-Ray vision, hoping to find something.

A stunned firefighter approached him and began to explain, "It's highly unstable. If it's not put out right, the whole building could come down. Several floors are smoking now and..."

"Over there!" Someone yelled from the swarm of news reporters.

Superman turned to see a stressed Catwoman dragging someone out. He flew over as she dropped the kid to the ground and began to cough, the smoke still permeating her lungs. As he got close, he recognized Dick's limp form. This wasn't good. Clark felt his chest tighten. If this is what happened to Dick, then what...

He picked Dick up and flew him quickly over to the Commissioner, who he spotted talking to several people at once. "Get him a medic, please."

Gordon looked up at the Man of Steel and nodded replying, "Help them."

Superman nodded and looked over to see Catwoman fleeing as best she could back into the shadows. Before he did anything else, he flew over to her, but she wasn't at all pleased to see him and attempted to hit him. He easily held her wrist.

"Go!" She yelled.

"Where's Wayne?" He asked.

"Top floor, under rubble... Go!" She yelled again, her breathing labored and unnatural.

Superman let go of her and turned to go when he said looked back at her and replied, "Thank you."

She watched him with narrowed eyes as he flew up into the air when another loud blast rocketed the building and more debris fell. Across town, Raven pulled herself up from her pillow and looked at the curtains to the window and then at Starfire.

"That's... that's the second blast... Starfire...?" She looked over at Starfire who was worried herself. At the first blast, she had thought nothing of it. It was Halloween after all. But that... that sounded bad.

"Turn on the TV," Raven told her.

Starfire nodded and grabbed the remote and flipped to a news channel, when she gasped and dropped it to the floor.

"What?" Raven asked, looking at the screen a brow raised, "Isn't that, that buil..."

"Robin!" Starfire yelled.

"What?" Raven questioned again.

"Robin! He is in there! Oh... Raven, Raven, friend Robin is in there!" She screamed.

"What? What do you..."

Starfire grabbed her friend by the shoulders, "He is the ward of Bruce Wayne! He is in there!"

Raven's eyes went wide and she quickly went to get the boys. Phasing through the wall, she found the three boys each on a bed (or in Red X's case, the couch). Astounded that they weren't shaken in the slightest, she walked over and pushed Cyborg off of the bed, making a loud thump and waking the other two in the process.

"Wha! What's goin'..." Cyborg began when he saw Raven standing above him, but she didn't give him the chance to finish.

"Robin's in trouble! Get dressed as civilians, we're going hidden first," Raven told them.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked, confused and suddenly embarrassed because he was only wearing his underwear.

"Because we might not be able to get close enough as superheroes," Raven responded.

"How the heck am I supposed to do..." Red X started.

"I never said you were going!" Raven glared at him and then phased back through the wall and into the girls' room.

The three looked at each other when Cyborg asked, "Does it bother any of you that she can do that whenever she wants?"

The other two nodded and they then set to work. Well, Beast Boy and Cyborg did. Red X wasn't about to pull off his mask for Robin of all people, so he decided to just chill in the room and actually sleep. In Midtown Gotham, nothing was getting any better. Superman quickly scanned the area for signs of life using his X-Ray vision and was able to quickly rescue those that he saw. But what worried him the most was that Bruce hadn't bothered to contact him all. Probably, because he couldn't. And worse yet, the mess above was so bad that he couldn't tell what had been the top floor and what hadn't.

But even as the last signs of life dwindled, Superman wasn't about to stop searching for Bruce. Finally landing in the rubble, he began to blow a thin layer of ice to put out the flames, careful not to make things more fragile than they already were. His cape billowed in the smoke as he walked through, moving rubble where he could. Finally he found a large room that seemed to have fallen through to another. He couldn't make heads of tails of it. Yet somehow, he felt close.

"Bruce!" He called out, "Bruce!"

This was like looking for a needle in a haystack (which he had done before, but it didn't mean that he actually liked doing it). He continued his search. Outside, on the ground below, Dick's eyes flickered open and he felt a breathing mask placed over his mouth and nose.

"He's coming to!" Someone yelled.

The sounds of flames and falling debris were close by. People were yelling, shouting. His head hurt. He attempted to sit up, but was rewarded by a pain in his head and he laid back down on the pavement. What... what going on? Where was he? Where was Bru... Dick's eyes widened and he automatically sat up, despite his migraine. He looked around and saw several people around him, also with breathing masks on.

A nurse looked down at him and said, "No, you need to rest, don't..."

Dick shook his head and batted her away, slowly climbing to his feet as he looked up. The fire. He had to go back in. Dick began to walk towards the building, the nurse yelling after him. He was finally about to run back in when someone grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no, you're not going back in there," A woman said.

"Let go!" He yelled back, when he realized he was talking to Detective Ellen Yin.

"I'll pin you to the ground if I have to because you're sorely mistaken if you think I'm going to let you go into that death trap," Yin told him, "Besides, the Man of Steel is up there. He'll get Bruce out."

Dick looked up and then at Yin. Then he nodded and followed her back to the medics. Up ahead, he saw several employees, some badly burned who he supposed Clark had saved. Some were in better shape than others. Some without scratches. It was then that he spotted Ms. Kyle, using a breathing mask. Their eyes locked for a moment, but that moment barely lasted as he continued to walk towards the doctors. But he never quite got there when he heard screaming and arguing near the police cars. He stopped and looked directly at Commissioner Gordon and saw him talking quickly with the security woman.

At that moment, he wanted answers. He turned directly towards the Commissioner and walked in the opposite direction that Yin had been leading him. As he walked up, the Commissioner noticed him and stopped talking. The woman looked at him and then looked at the ground too. She then looked up at Gordon and nodded, but Dick didn't even bother watching as she left. Instead, his eyes focused on Gordon, who looked down at him.

"You doing alright kid?" He asked.

Dick couldn't move his head, but heard himself whispering, "He... he shot him..."

Gordon's eyes went wide, "Who?"

"Rav... Ravager..." Dick muttered, looking at the ground.

"Ravager?" Gordon asked, "He shot..."

Dick looked up at the Commissioner and forcefully put out the rest, "Bruce... He shot Bruce... twice."

The Commissioner looked up at the now dwindling inferno and then back down at Dick, "Superman's up there. He'll find him. We can still get him, son."

Dick nodded his head... but slowly. Somehow, he didn't think that was true. But... Superman... If anyone could find him, he could. Up above though, Superman had found nothing so far. Nothing, just rubble among smoldering flames. He blew again and the flames dwindled. He soon saw an area in which rubble filled the area as Catwoman had said. He began to pick up the pieces with ease, calling, ever calling.

"Bruce! Come on, Bruce! Help me out here!" He called.

But suddenly, he heard a loud creak and looked up where the roof above him began to tumble down towards him and he yelled. Dick whirled up from looking at the ground as a loud crunching sound came from above. The crowd gasped and for a moment, everyone held their breath. Dick watched uncertainly. They waited. And waited. And waited. Then in an instant the remaining flames seemed to vanish and something moved at the top of the wreck of the building's top. A figure emerged and the crowd cheered.

But they couldn't see the figure's face or what was in his hand as his red cape whipped his sides.

Superman flew down slowly towards the ground where Sawyer and Yin stood nearby. They were the first to see his face so... stone like. So firm. He walked past them and over towards the Commissioner and Dick, who stood with bated breath. Dick's thoughts went wild. No one was with him. He wasn't carrying anyone. Anyone. Superman put a knee down and had a hard time even looking at him. But he took Dick's hand and placed something in it and then he shook his head. The Bat Insignia. He could feel it. He didn't even have to look.

"I'm sorry. I... I couldn't... I couldn't save him," He whispered.

Gordon looked at him startled and then down at Dick. Superman swallowed hard while Gordon watched Dick's eyes go glassy with memories and unstrung thoughts. They had to get him out of here.

"Sawyer!" He called over, "Take Mr. Grayson to the station. Call Mr. Pennyworth at Wayne Manor to come and pick him up."

"Yes sir!" She said, and took Dick by the arm carefully, and yelled ahead, "Help me get him to my car!"

Several officers made a brigade from all of the newscasters who yelled things at him. He never heard any of them. He only saw Superman nod at him as he got into the car and left. The ride was seamlessly nothing to him. His mind kept going over and over again the details. The gunshots. The sound of the fabric ripping... And Bruce's contorting. He shivered. He didn't realize that the ride was over at all when they got there until the flashes of light bulbs brightened up the inside of the police cruiser. Dick looked out to see flashbulbs going off as well as people shouting at his window. They dispersed as two people came around, one of which was Sawyer.

"Get back, people!" She yelled, as she pulled Dick out of the car and kept him away from the photographer's flashing cameras.

Harvey Bullock yelled, "Don't forget that we have weapons on us!"

"Harv!" She yelled.

"I'm tellin' 'em the truth!" He yelled back as he cleared a path for Dick and her to pass through to the station.

They made their way down the hallways, people following them the whole time, until Sawyer brought Dick into the office room and angrily slammed the door shut.

"Disgusting," She muttered, "Bullock, watch after the kid for me. I need to call Gordon. And I want those reporters out of here!"

Dick didn't hear much. He heard people yelling through the glass trying to get him to look their way or to comment. But Dick couldn't move. It was like he was in a surreal world that didn't exist. Like it was all a bad dream. Right? He didn't know. It didn't stop, though. None of it did. Time kept moving by. Soon, Yin came in and Gordon, too. The scene was a mess, but with Dick here at the station, it had become more of a mad house than Wayne Tower. While in some ways that was beneficial to the medics and firefighters, it was in no way beneficial to Dick's state of mind. Gordon opened the door and looked around only to find Dick sitting on the side by the windows.

Gordon thought back to a scene that had unfolded years earlier. Another young man had sat there. His face dirty. His eyes boring a hole into the ground, haunted, replaying what he had seen over and over again. He had been wrapped up in his father's jacket that was still caked with his father's blood. But this time, the kid who was sitting here now had no jacket. But the scene kept replaying over and over again.

_'Why is it that two bullets can do so much damage?'_ Gordon wondered.

He walked over and knelt down in front of Dick who finally looked up. Gordon had known Dick years before he had gone off to school. In fact, his daughter Barbara had even been his friend when he was just a kid.

"Hey, Dick," He said and Dick bit his lip.

"You all right?" He asked.

Dick didn't say anything. His eyes were dull. Gordon had only seen them like that once before, when he had first met him. When his parents... Gordon put his hand up to his forehead. His parents. The boy's parents were dead. This was the second time he had seen a parent, or a parental figure die. The poor kid. He sighed; how was he supposed to do this? He hoped that Alfred would get here soon. He looked back up at Dick.

"Hey, it's okay. It'll be okay," He repeated and suddenly he realized something.

He realized how much Dick really did look like Bruce. How his eyes were so pained. So lost. Dick looked back at the ground and nodded. He breathed for a couple minutes as Gordon watched him. He looked at his head and brushed his hand against his forehead and felt traces of dried blood on his face. He brought his hand down and looked at the dried blood. His face hardened. Gordon raised a brow. As Dick looked back up at him, he stood up, much to the Commissioner's surprise, with a look of determination.

"Where's Ravager?" He asked.

Gordon looked at Dick startled, "We haven't looked. We've been too busy..."

"Why!" Dick asked, "He killed him!"

Everyone in the office looked at the black haired teenager, who stood still until he said softer, but all the more firmly, "He could kill someone else..."

Gordon sighed, "We have to sort out this mess. Then we'll get right on after him. I'm sure the Batman's already on it."

Dick's eyes widened at that. The Batman... There was no more... How... No... It was completely incomprehensible to think of. Bruce was human. Batman was... human? Really? No, he never seemed to be... But he was. And this all hit him hard, like someone else had been killed, too. No more. He was gone... Suddenly Gordon's phone rang and he answered.

"Hello?" He said, "Barbara, I can't talk right now I'm..."

_"What on earth is going on there!? What do they mean that Bruce Wayne is being reported _**_dead_**_!?"_ An angry voice screamed over the phone.

Dick looked up. Gordon began to talk to his daughter about the case as Dick watched him. He couldn't just sit here. He couldn't. If Batman wasn't going to solve this, that meant his partner would have. Dick had to know everything and to do that, his best chance was to follow Gordon. The flashbulbs quit making shadows for him as he followed Gordon off and further into the office halls.

When Gordon noticed him, he turned in question and Dick answered, "I'm not sitting around, Commissioner. I want to help. However I can."

Gordon sighed and looked around as though searching for a better suggestion. But then again, at least Dick wouldn't be in such a trance. He nodded and Dick nodded back. Outside, the four Titans found the GCPD easily. It wasn't too hard when every news crew seemed to be either here or at Wayne Tower. It must be a busy night for them--the reporters, that is.

They had taken measures to not draw attention to themselves. Cyborg was dressed in what were basically gym clothes and a hologram. Raven and Beast Boy dressed in similar outfits to those of their night at Zenith's, just toned down in extremity. Starfire was perhaps the least put together as she only had on a purple T-shirt, jeans, white shoes and a jacket. Totally normal in all respects save for the fact that they were four teenagers in a bad part of town in the middle of the night. Oh well, so much for not looking out of the ordinary.

After what was the twelfth try making his way through the reporters, Cyborg landed on the ground and yelled, "Why I oughta...!"

"Forget it, we can't get in without doing collateral damage," Raven said.

"But we must get in there, friend Rob... Dick is in there," She insisted.

"What do you want us to do, Star?" Cyborg asked, about ready to call it quits.

Raven looked to her side, where a wall stood unguarded. Walking over, Raven breathed in and moved her hands in a circular motion while her friends watched as she made a portal. Stepping in, Raven disappeared into the building. Once inside, she found herself being shoved to the side by the crowd. Certainly in no mood for being pushed to the ground or having her foot being stepped on, Raven pushed people out of the way and made her way to the center of the crowd.

She kept brushing up against people, finding it hard to even move. All of them, all of their frantic emotions gave her a head ache. Until she brushed up against someone else. Another hand, another type of hand, but the feelings were human all the same. It was like Starfire's emotions, but not... She turned and saw a tall man, about six-four with glasses and black hair, his countenance a mess. He looked down at her and she saw his piercing crystal blue eyes.

She was the first to speak, "Are you..."

Clark looked at her and then noticed her chakra, "Do you know Dick?"

Raven nodded, "Uh, Rachel Roth."

"Clark Kent."

"The reporter?" Raven asked.

"Among other things, come on," Clark told her, "You from around here?"

"Live in Jump, normally," Raven told him.

"Where are the others?" Clark asked, making the connection

"Outside," Raven answered.

Somehow, superheroes seemed to see right through each other – at least in times like these. The two made their way close to the glass doors. Outside, a black car drove up and Alfred stepped out along with another woman, Leslie Thompkins, only to need assistance in getting inside. Starfire recognized him and called out.

"Alfred!" She yelled, "Alfred!"

Alfred looked over and motioned for two of the officers to help the three teenagers follow in as well. They came up to the office when Alfred heard another familiar voice.

"Let me through, I'm practically the boy's uncle, let me through!" Clark barked, Raven following him closely.

"Mr. Kent, it's good to see you," Alfred called.

Clark smiled, but barely and somehow managed to meet up with the rest of the group with Raven right behind him.

"Where is he?" Clark asked.

"We're going in to see him right now," Alfred told him.

"Rave..." Raven hit Beast Boy before he could say anything stupid and he continued, "Rachel, thanks a lot for ditching us!"

"Trying to get in and pull other's in isn't exactly cake, Gar," She told him as they were all hurried into the office.

It was much quieter in the office, but still chaotic. Police officers were running from room to room while they also entered and left as soon as they could get past the reporters. It was a mad house, but they were instantly greeted by Bullock, who ran to Alfred immediately.

He panted out of breath and told him, "Finally, you're here. The kid's not taking it easy at all."

Alfred answered, "Where is he?"

He pointed over to Yin who had taken over helping out with Dick as Gordon had to talk to several other officers and Dick was willing to stay with Yin as she and Bennett had been overseeing the Wayne Industries for the past couple weeks. When Dick finally looked up and saw them, it was clear that he wasn't all right. Starfire gasped and walked over to him and Alfred and Clark were next.

"Friend, what... are you...?" Starfire began.

"I..." Dick started, surprised to see his friends like this, "I'm fine... I'm, I've been with Yin for the past two... hours..."

He seemed to be slipping in and out of his mainstream of thoughts and Alfred answered him saying, "Please, Master Dick sit down. I'm sure there's nothing to..."

Dick shook his head at Alfred and Alfred clenched his jaw. He knew what was going on. He had seen it all too well before. And he still didn't know what to say to help. He didn't even know how he was doing all of this. Perhaps it was because it had already been his role before.

"You sit down and let me help you, Dick," Leslie told him, beginning to reach for her bag in which she kept basic first aid.

"Yeah, dude, come on, sit down, you're a wreck," Cyborg started.

"I don't need to sit down!" Dick yelled.

His friends backed off, but Clark wouldn't, "Dick..."

Dick shook his head, "We've got to find Ravager, Clark. We've got to find him..."

"Dick... You can't. You know what state you're in?" Clark asked.

"I'm fine!" Dick yelled again as he turned away from them all and towards Ellen who looked at him in shock, "I'm... I'm..."

Suddenly all the stress and weight gave way and Dick felt himself losing consciousness for the second time that night. Clark moved forward and caught Dick in his arms. The kid had to go home. And it would be horrible getting home with this mess. There were people everywhere, trying to get a piece of the story. Gordon watched from the roof for a long while, coming up every so often. Around 4:30, he came up one last time to check. He looked up into the sky, where the Bat Signal illuminated the sky, had illuminated the sky for hours. Where was he? Gordon shook his head and walked over to the switch. Probably already on it. Probably. He could only hope.

-T-

"Bruce Wayne was always marked by tragedy. At a young age, his parents, Martha and Thomas Wayne, whose graves you see next to his own, were taken from him. To the public eye, the prying eye of every gossip columnist in Gotham, he was a figure to gawk at and spread untrue rumors about," Diana continued, "But to those who saw the real Bruce Wayne, knew him, we knew that he was above all of that. He was a man dedicated to serving others and providing new sources to help this city. Bruce was a hero. He was a friend and a mentor."

Princess Diana looked out at the crowd and spotted the front row again and finished, "And his life, his life had many joys too. He loved many people. And there were many who loved him... I turn the time over to Mr. Alfred Pennyworth. Thank you."

Diana stepped down and Alfred walked up to the stand now to conclude the ceremony, "Thank you, Princess Diana. On behalf of the Wayne Family, I thank you for your attendance. I wish to say for everyone, that Bruce... That Bruce would only have one thing to say. To keep up the good fight. To remember. And know that he is watching."

Alfred looked over at Dick one more time before concluding, "I know that he loved his family. He was a good man. I ask that you make form a queue to place any flowers and make your way to manor before the sky begins to rain. Thank you."

Dick's row was first. Diana went first, on behalf of the rest. Somehow, she was strong enough to do so. Clark went next and placed another flower. Dick was next. He held a white rose in his hand. He paused and looked at the casket. It was so refined. So elegant. And yet, it held something that now gone made so many people feel so… lost.

He slowly put his flower on the casket and felt the wood touch his fingers. He recoiled as he saw his parents' graves again in his mind. His head hurt. Clark looked back and went back for him. Dick shook his head and continued to walk, but he looked back. He looked back. Once inside the Manor, Dick took off his coat. Slowly, others came in as well. Others in reverent respect. Many he recognized and many that he didn't.

He saw the now six core of Justice League of America members: Wonder Woman, now as Princess Diana; Superman, now as Clark Kent; The Flash II, now as Barry Allen; Martian Manhunter, now as John Jones; Green Lantern, now as Hal Jordan; and Green Arrow, now as Oliver Queen; and Aquaman, now as Arthur Curry. He saw his friends, the Teen Titans. Starfire as Kory Anders, Beast Boy as Gar Logan, Cyborg as Victor Stone, and Raven as Rachel Roth. And there were others as civilians. He saw fellow sidekicks, Speedy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. He saw Black Canary , Captain Atom, Adam Strange, Hawkman and Hawkgirl. The Atom, Vixen, Animal Man, Green Lantern John Stewart, Ralph and Sue Dibny, and others... They had all looked up to Bruce. All of them. And still, others without masks were present too.

Barbara Gordon had flown out for the funeral and was standing by Leslie Thompkins. Ellen Yin had made it even though it was a mere day after Ethan's own funeral. Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane were there to support Clark. Iris West was with her husband, Barry. Lucius Fox stood by Alfred for a long while, muttering memories to him. Vicki Vale, an ex-lover of Bruce's was there as well. And still others. The last person Dick saw was Selina Kyle at the grave site, placing the last flower. Maybe... maybe she was hurting too.

There were no press members today. It was private and even then, people hid their faces, no one could make the connection. Many left right after. Some stayed and talked. Some, like Barbara, went up to tell Dick they were sorry. That they'd talk later if he wanted to. By the end of it, a few remained. His friends stayed. The core JLA and their family members stayed. The first to really approach him was Starfire. She and the other Titans had been talk to the currently Fab Four sidekicks, but she sensed that Dick needed someone to talk to.

"Dick?" She asked.

He looked at her and attempted to smile, but failed. His face had a small bandage over his right eyebrow. She knew their were other bandages from that Halloween. And she had seen him beat up before too. But something was different. There was... He was hurting inside as well.

She went up to him closer and put a hand to his cheek, "Robin?"

Dick felt her wrap her arms around him and for a moment, he let her. It felt good. But he couldn't let it last for some reason.

He turned his head and body away from her and replied slowly, "Star... I... I'm sorry. I think I... I think I just need time alone."

Dick walked up the marble staircase as Starfire watched him. Once he was out of sight, Alfred went up to her, "I am sorry, madam. I thank you for trying, though."

"Oh, I am worried for him, Alfred. He has not had the sleep, nor is he letting himself relax," She told him.

Alfred nodded, "Losing someone so important is always traumatic. I believe that this is affecting Master Dick incredibly hard because this is now his second time losing a parent."

"Dick... never called Bruce a parent," Starfire finished, uncertainly.

"Dick would never admit it now, Ms. Anders," Alfred told her, "But I assure you, if you had seen them while Dick was growing up, you would have seen how much Dick looked up to Master Bruce."

She nodded and sighed. She wondered what was running through his mind. But no one could know. No one knew that when Dick had gotten to his room and shut the door, he had walked over to his bed and had knelt by it's side. His arms on the bed as he tried beyond hope to relinquish the anguish he was feeling.

So stupid. How could he have been arguing? Arguing? And how he had utterly refused what Bruce had told him, when after what Ravager had done, it was clear that to him that he did care. Never listening to him. Thinking he knew better. Idiot. So stupid. So stupid... No wonder Bruce was always so angry with him. He could have been better for Bruce. A better sidekick. But he wasn't. He left. He ditched him for two years. And Bruce... Bruce was...

Dick put his head in his arms and covered his face. It was so wrong. He shouldn't have died for him. He shouldn't have died as Bruce Wayne to begin with. He should have been trying to save someone else. Not him. And he should have been the Dark Knight, as he had always wanted to be. Not Wayne. He could take his mentor being gone. Maybe. But not Wayne. Wayne, Bruce, he was... Dick felt himself shudder and try to suppress it all. He pulled his head above to look out at the clouds covering Gotham City.

His astounding city without him.

Without protection.

Dick looked down at his own hands. He had to do something. Like Bruce would have wanted. He couldn't... he couldn't sit and feel sorry for himself. Yeah, that was it. Do something. Do what Bruce would have wanted him to do. Go to the Cave. No one would notice. Dick got onto his shaky feet and slowly made his way towards his door heading the back way to Bruce's office.

Two stories below, some of the guests were slipping into the dining room. Alfred stood by the door as though it was nothing. Finally, Clark came by and Alfred nodded. He gestured over to Fox to eye the door and went in himself. Now only a few remained. He saw Dick's friends talking in hushed tones and Commissioner Gordon enter, probably to pick Barbara up. That was the thing about being a Commissioner. You never go home from work because it just follows you.

Inside the dining hall, Clark looked down at the seats that were taken. Diana, Barry, John, Hal, Arthur and Ollie... Normally, Bruce would have been to his right. Clark sighed and finally sat down at the head of the table.

"I'm assuming that you know why we're all here," Clark said.

"For the Dark Knight's funeral?" Ollie said in sarcastic bitterness.

Diana answered, "We have to sort this all out. So we as a league know where we stand."

"What do you want us to do, Diana?" Barry asked, "We can't really do anything. We're not miracle workers. We can't bring him back to life."

"No one's asking anyone to do that," John said.

"No, we're just putting it upon ourselves as to whether or not we should keep up the Dark Knight's charade," Hal pointed out.

"I never said that," Clark said.

"But that's what you're getting at?" Arthur asked.

"No, I'm not..."

"Well, I don't see how this even applies to us," Barry said, "Isn't that up to Dick?"

"Dick? He's just sixteen!" Arthur exclaimed.

"My sidekick works alone now," Barry said, "And Dick runs an entire team."

"You're not suggesting that he take up the mantle?" Diana asked.

Barry looked at them like he was crazy, "Uh, no. I'm just saying, isn't that all up to him how it's done?"

"Dick can't take up that mantle now; he's too young," John said.

"Why are you so worried about that?" Hal asked.

Ollie answered, "Because the kid's not thinking right; you see him earlier? He's not thinking straight. Keeps staring off into space."

Clark sighed and told them flat out, "He's not going to take up the mantle. Dick might not be thinking right, but he knows that. I think we have other things to worry about that are more important."

"What, like Bruce's financial resources?" Ollie asked.

Diana answered, "Kinda, Ollie, kinda."

"Now wait..." Clark started, but was interrupted.

"What exactly happens now, Alfred, with Bruce's estate and all?" Hal asked.

Alfred sighed, "Well, Wayne Industries is taken over by Mr. Earle at the head and Fox at his second hand until Dick becomes of age. All of Master Bruce's assets will be frozen, save for charity donations and JLA funding; Dick won't be able to touch it till he turns eighteen."

"Alfred..." Clark started, ignoring the previous conversation, "What happens to Dick in all of this?"

Alfred looked surprised at the question, but was about to answer him when he was interrupted again, this time by John, "Do you think he'll continue being Robin?"

"There's no doubt about it in my mind..." Alfred continued.

They kept talking. And talking and talking. No one interrupted them (despite Beast Boy's and Cyborg's severe temptation to do so). They talked on and on about how they were going to function. What was going to happen to Gotham. Who would watch it. The ideas and plans went on and on. It was giving Clark a headache. But away from the meeting, in the far edge of the manor, Dick had reached the old grandfather clock. He had somehow made his way over to it. He was finally beginning to understand what it was about the place that had always seemed so... comfortable for Bruce. He remembered the quiet, cool air. The solitude. It seemed... so welcoming. He turned the clock hands to 10:47 PM and waited.

But nothing changed.

Dick stood back in shock, "No."

He tried again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Dick got frantic, "No... No, no, no, no!"

He banged his fists against the glass framework, "Come on! Come on!"

Dick kept at it. He had to get in there. Why wasn't it opening? Why? He saw the glass begin to crack, but he didn't stop. He screamed in frustration and yelled. He had to get in there. Why wouldn't it open? Did Bruce... Dick shook his head. That couldn't be. Bruce would want him to have access, right? Right? He yelled out again and continued to hit the glass of the old grandfather clock. Back downstairs, Clark's migraine was getting to him. The other members kept coming back to the same topics. The ones Clark was the least concerned about. Another sound though, broke through to his sensitive ears.

Someone... in the south... no, east wing? Around there?

Clark got up and left the room. All of his colleagues looked after him, but only Alfred followed him. He didn't know where Clark was going and he didn't know the reason for his sudden departure. At least, he didn't until they got to Bruce's study, where the door was cracked open and he heard someone crying. He watched as Clark entered the room and saw Dick kneeling on the ground, his hands on the shattered glass door of the old grandfather clock. His knuckles were bleeding and his shoulders were heaved and kept jumping up and down with muffled sounds.

Somehow, Clark managed to speak, "Dick?"

Dick looked up at him, his eyes finally reflecting all the hurt. Clark got down next to him and brought Dick into a tight hug. Dick let go of the glass and sobbed into Clark's shirt, the blue and red slowly manifesting itself through his button down shirt.

"I... I can't... I can't get in..." Dick sobbed.

Clark looked up at Alfred, who went to get a first aid kit, while Dick continued his silent tears. Clark held onto him tightly. He'd never seen Dick in such a state. He was so tired. So out of breath. Ready to collapse. Clark was surprised that he'd made it this far. He'd met him after his emergence as Robin and had never seen him when his parents died. But now he saw it and he let him cry into his chest and let out all of the pain. Because somehow, no matter the situation, Clark could be the leader. He was there to help. And right now, he knew that Dick needed someone, an adult, so that he could just cry.

He thought about all that Dick had to carry. He was the leader of the Titans. Was always trying to live up to high expectations. He had no one. Not a single living family member to turn to. Just friends. And even then, somehow, he saw Dick shutting them out, as he had done with Starfire just an hour or so ago. Alfred came in shortly and helped Dick bandage up his hands. There were still glass chips in his flesh. Clark winced, but then, the question hit him. Why _couldn't_ Dick get in?

"Alfred... Do you know of any security measures that Bruce might have taken if he were to die?" Clark asked.

"I am not aware of any, but it's certainly possible. Master Bruce was not one to trust just anyone," Alfred responded.

"Hm, we'll have to look into it more later," Clark said, as he glanced down at Dick, "Come on, kid. I bet Alfred knows some good pizza we can order."

Dick got up with a nod, but didn't say anything. Pizza, Clark somehow knew, wasn't what Dick wanted right then, but maybe it would get his mind off things. The three of them walked towards the entry hall, where the rest of the League had moved to with the Titans. Dick was about to leave when he saw Commissioner Gordon come up to him with Maggie Sawyer behind him and another woman.

"Mr. Pennyworth?" He asked.

"Yes?" Alfred asked back.

"I, uh, they've put this on me to tell you because I had to pick up my daughter here and I know that this must be bad timing, but..." Gordon started, but at the sight of Dick, he stopped.

"But what?" Clark asked.

Being nearby, Starfire and the others looked up at the sound of Clark's voice. Gordon knew this was not the best timing and he hated that above all else. Worst yet, he didn't even think that this was going to go over well either.

"Mr. Pennyworth, down at the office, well, you know what happens. When a person passes away, their wills are read over and they're property is distributed..."

"I'm well aware of that, Commissioner, and I assure you, it has been taken care of," Alfred replied evenly.

But for Gordon, that wasn't it, "I trust in that Mr. Pennyworth. It's Dick that I'm here to talk about."

"What about him?" Clark asked.

Gordon raised a brow at Clark, unaware of who he was, and continued, "The matter of his custody is what I'm talking about, Mr Pennyworth."  
At that, Dick finally looked up and half of those nearby looked over as well as Alfred continued, "Master Dick is to remain in my custody, Commissioner, as I recall."

But Gordon shook his head sympathetically and continued a little less on professionally, "When it comes to matters such as this, the city state looks into them, Alfred. In the matter of Dick's custody, Wayne's will doesn't state that he would be left to you."

"Then who? Me?" Clark spoke up, but seeing the confusion, clarified, "I'm Clark Kent; I was a good friend of Wayne's."

"No, Mr. Kent, I'm afraid not," Gordon told him, "Dick is to go into the care of Mr. Wayne's cousin from his mother's side, who I was relieved to find here."

It was at this point that Dick looked around the Commissioner's side at the woman behind him. She had slightly curly brown hair, that reached a bit farther than her shoulders. Her expression, while thoroughly confused at the moment, held remnants of sadness and traces of tears that had been recently released from her green eyes. She wore a black professional-like outfit in light of the funeral. She could have been Bruce's same age, sure, but... Bruce had a cousin? Since when? Who was she? Why had he never met her before? Dick could see that for her, this was almost as much as a shock as it was for them. He felt like he was speechless. And indeed he was.

"Mr. Pennyworth, Mr. Kent, Dick, I'd like you to meet Bruce's cousin," Gordon said as they all turned to look at the woman behind him, "This is Ms. Adeline Kane."

-T-

**A/N:** -Laughs insanely- Oh, you did not see that one coming, did ya? Hahaha. Now comes time for the explanation. Quite logically, this is totally possible. Random fact: Bruce Wayne's mother, Martha Wayne, obviously had a maiden name before she married Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne. Martha Wayne's maiden name was Kane, in a tribute to Batman's creator: Bob Kane. Both of his parents were wealthy before they married one another. Martha inherited her fortune from her parents. In Adeline's history, she, herself, also inherited a piece of her fortune from her parents, but considering her age compared to Dick's in the comics, she was probably more around Bruce Wayne's age.

One thing that I would like to point out that I have never been able to find any solid base of evidence stating that Martha had siblings or did not have siblings nor have I found anything that says that Bruce and Adeline were cousins. However, there is nothing that says they're not! Don't worry, if this doesn't make a lot of sense, it will as the story continues. -smiles- I know you all hate me right now, don't you? But never fear. This means the story continues! And we shall see how Slade plans to make his next move. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Please review! Stay Cool! Later!

Rena

PS. Anyone read Titans #1?


	18. Chapter 18: Adjusting

**Disclaimer:** Alright, let's see now. If I owned Teen Titans or Batman or Deathstroke, by now I would have demanded to meet Christian Bale. But do you see me meeting or knowing Christian Bale? No. You don't. You see someone wishing that she knew someone that talented (and handsome). So no, I don't own any DC Comics characters, so stop reminding me!

**Author's Note:** Wow, ever had that feeling that everything's hitting you all at once? That's me right now, lol. Anyways, first off, I'd like to say that thank you all so much for reading and reviewing the last chapter. I hope that this chapter will start up the next stage of our story with a nice grabber, but I guess that's up to you as a reader. The second thing that I'd like to say is that at the moment, I'm sort of running all over the place. So I might not update on time, but I will try to, honestly, I will. But life's crazy, so I can't promise anything. But onto the story, why don't we kick it off on a new note and continue this little journey? "Chapter Eighteen: Adjusting"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Eighteen: Adjusting**

Dick slammed the top of the suitcase down as he clicked shut the last bag. He looked around his room. It still had a lot of stuff, things he was sure Alfred would keep safe in it, but the important things were gone. The small framed pictures. Most of his clothes. His shoes. His notebooks. All of it was packed, miraculously in only about 8 boxes. He had just finished up with two other suitcases meant for Robin supplies only. It wasn't like he'd have full access to the arsenal for a while anyway. He'd have to conserve what he had and once he got down to the bare minimum, well, he could worry about that later.

He looked over at the others who were sitting across from him on the other side of his bed. The gang had come over to help him pack. Honestly, now that the funeral was over, the fact that they now finally knew who he really was, was hitting them. As they had basically gone threw his life, they saw how he had lived. It had been so different. At the Tower, he was always Robin. Robin who was everything he could be, every one that he was as a person, with the exception of one or two things. Here, he had either been Dick Grayson or Robin. Never both at the same time.

Dick sighed, "Thanks guys."

"No problem dude," Beast Boy told him.

"Not like we're really doing much of anything anyway," Cyborg added.

Starfire brooded, "Are you sure you will be okay, Dick?"

Dick looked at her in confusion when Raven elaborated, "Come on, you've never met this woman and Bruce gave custody of you to her? Have you even met this woman before?"

Dick thought for a moment and then answered, "I don't know. Ms. Kane seems familiar, but I don't think I've ever been formally introduced to her till now."

"Man, how are you even going to be able to get back to Jump with her around?" Cyborg asked.

"I..." Dick stopped, knowing his team wouldn't like his answer, "I don't know."

"What?" Starfire asked.

"Well, I mean, I don't even know how well this is going to be working out as Robin while at Ms. Kane's house. I barely have anything!" Dick told them.

"Dude, this custody thing sucks!" Beast Boy told him.

"BB, um, it's more than that..." Dick replied.

Raven narrowed her eyes, "This isn't about Ravager is it?"

Dick shrugged and turned away from his friends, "Um... well... Guys, it's really not, I mean... I have to stay in Gotham. Till the JLA figures what they're going to do and all."

Starfire interceded, "But, Robin... Is that... You promised that you would be coming home soon."

Dick turned to look at her with sad eyes, "Star, I know, but, but that was before Bruce... You know that I want to be out there, but right now, my home _town_ needs me. And now we know who's our bad guy."

"But man, didn't you say that Ravager didn't even seem like the type..."

"Yes, I did," Dick answered, "But if it's not him that's behind it all, it doesn't matter 'cause all we need to do it track him down so we can find out who his boss is. That shouldn't be too hard to do."

The Titans watched him for a moment until the sound of a car driving up to the house came through the window. They were all over in a moment as they looked outside the two windows. Ms. Kane stood below, holding her arm and looking around the yard. Alfred opened the door and stepped outside.

"Ms. Kane! You've arrived, Dick will be down in a second," Alfred told her with a half hearted light tone.

"Thanks, Mr. Pennyworth," Ms. Kane said, "I... I want to say that I'm sorry about all of this. I honestly don't know how this could have happened. I know that my parents and I were in his will when I was younger, but I don't see how it would still have something like this in there."

Alfred nodded, "I'm sure it was just a mistake in the system, I just want to thank you for agreeing to take care of Dick for the time being."

Ms. Kane nodded, "It's no big deal, really Mr. Pennyworth. As long as he's not put back into that system."

"Oh my word, yes," Alfred agreed, "You have no idea the trouble that I had to deal with when Bruce was... well, I suppose it doesn't matter now. All I know is that it probably is a bigger mess to deal with now."

Ms. Kane smiled, "I suppose so, I assure you that I'll have Dick visit often, Mr. Pennyworth. He seems to have a good friend in you."

"Please, Ms. Kane, call me Alfred. It's what the Masters call me," Alfred replied.

Ms. Kane laughed, "Well, then call me Adeline. Ms. Kane seems so strict and uptight."

"Adeline then," Alfred nodded and then he paused before continuing, "Adeline, did you ever come here before? What I mean to say is, how close were you with Master Bruce?"

Adeline looked shocked, "Well, I came by a couple times when I was younger. My dad was in the army, so I didn't get much of a chance to visit. But I came by once or twice when I was five or so. Do you remember anyone named 'Addie'?"

Alfred looked surprised as she continued, "That was me."

"My word, it must have been a few decades since the last time I saw you," Alfred said. He looked up at the Manor to see Dick and his friends, "Master Dick! Come on down now and don't keep Ms. Kane waiting!"

Dick and the Titans pulled their heads back in and Beast Boy burst with what everyone was thinking, "Well, at least _someone's_ seen her before."

"A few decades?" Raven asked.

Cyborg shook his head, "How on earth did Batman even keep in contact with her?"

"I don't know," Dick told them as he picked up a few suitcases, "But I intend to find out before I unpack one suitcase. Gonna help?"

He motioned to the rest of the suitcases, which the Titans each began to gather up and bring downstairs. Coming out as civilians, the group started to pack up the car with Dick's belongings. Cyborg shut the door and stood back as Dick looked between Ms. Kane and his friends and Alfred.

Ms. Kane smiled faintly, "You, um, I don't know your friends..."

Dick's eyes widened at the realization, "Oh, um, this is Rachel, Victor, Gar, and Kory."

Ms. Kane smiled at them again, "Nice to meet you. You know, I'm not going to keep him from you. Do you want the address so you can visit?"

The others smiled back and nodded. She didn't seem that bad. In fact, she was rather nice. The address was shared and each of them shoved it into their pockets. Ms. Kane walked over to her door and waited as Dick said his goodbyes. He pounded fists with the guys and gave each of the girls a hug. When it came to Alfred, he stood still for a moment, a sad look in his blue eyes. He then gave the man a tight hug.

Alfred returned the favor and told him, "Don't worry. We'll be in contact. This is just until we sort all of this out."

Dick nodded and let go. He walked over to the car and looked back a final time at Wayne Manor and then over at the graveyard to the side. Then he got into the car and shut the door. The Titans watched as the car drove off and out of sight before returning to the Manor to wait for his call.

-T-

In uptown Gotham, Slade sat back as he watched the car drive off as well.

Perfect.

He never thought that knowing Adeline would have been so useful to him. Then again, knowing Adeline was always a plus. But still, it didn't hurt that she was actually related to Wayne. Slade had never met Wayne, but he had seen the family tree, which was easy enough to come across. He had a hunch that Adeline wasn't totally buying this, but that was alright. She wouldn't have to buy it for long. The only thing that he had to wait for was for Dick's papers to be transferred. That was it. The phone rang and Slade picked it up.

"Hello?" He asked, pretending to sound like he didn't know who it could be.

"Here's the question that I'm going to ask you, Slade: Should I be paying you for Wayne's murder?" Luthor asked, "I heard that it was some pyro-fanatic like firefly only with the name Ravager."

Slade chuckled, "Luthor, you give Ravager too much credit. He's below firefly."

"Enough with the laughs, Slade," Luthor interrupted, "Do I pay you or not?"

Slade leaned forward towards his computer, "Mr. Luthor, do you honestly think that Ravager would have known the exact location of Wayne's office without my help? So yeah, I paid him off to do the job."

Luthor smiled, "Then it's done?"

"It's done," Slade said.

"Very well then, I'm transferring the money into your account now," Lex told him and Slade watched as the transfer was made.

He laughed, "You know, Luthor, quite frankly, I feel as though I should be thanking you."

Luthor raised a brow as he walked over to the window of LuthorCorp with harsh interest, "Why?"

Slade replied evenly, "I feel as though I gained more than just a pay check- quite frankly, I would have done this even if you hadn't paid me; that was just a bonus."

Luthor's eyes narrowed, his eyes focusing on the building in Metropolis, "What were you in this for, Slade?"

Slade laughed coolly, "Oh, you'll find out, Lex; it will become apparent soon enough. It was nice doing business with you."

"And you," Luthor said after a moment and the two hung up.

Slade's eye continued to watch the car driving towards the outskirts of uptown Gotham, the suburban section off the islands. If he hadn't had such a great sense of self control, he would have fidgeted. It had all worked. It was true, he'd have a short time in which he could actually make his move between when the papers were finished and Adeline attempted to give custody of Dick back to that butler or the Man of Steel (he hoped beyond hope that it wasn't the latter), but he could deal with that. After all, he was better than most at things like this. Right now, it was just a matter of time. He'd probably also have to leave behind a different trail of bread crumbs too, which shouldn't be too hard. Besides, Adeline would never say anything about _him_ to Dick. She wouldn't. Slade knew that she wouldn't. He eyed Adeline's image on the screen.

Just as beautiful as ever.

Slade sighed as the thought finally came across him, that this was indeed going to be a bit difficult, in the sense that old... emotions were involved. The car continued to drive smoothly and evenly through Gotham. Slade got up from his desk to go down to the kitchen for something to calm his nerves. No matter. Maybe he'd go for a jog. He have to occupy himself. There was time to waste.

-T-

The car ride was unnaturally quiet. No music. No honking horns. No screeching to a halt. And most certainly, no talking. It was as though neither of them knew what to say. Dick played with his phone while Adeline gripped the wheel, her eyes glued to the road. But both of them felt the uneasiness. Adeline snuck a glance at the teenager in the car and then looked back at the road. Well, she was going to have him living with her. She might as well get to know him a bit.

"So..." She started, "Alfred said you lived in California for a while?"

"Huh?" Dick said looking up at her, "Uh, yeah. Just for a little bit. It was for a boarding school; I sort of already completed all of the high school courses I needed it and I wanted to do more so, yeah."

Adeline nodded, "That's impressive. You like doing any sports?"

Dick shrugged, "I do the trapeze and I've played other sports, but nothing's really stuck."

"The trapeze? That's interesting," Adeline stated.

"Yeah, my parents taught me," Dick said, "I'm a little out of practice, but, yeah, I still like doing it."

Adeline nodded again and Dick finally looked up at her, "Ms. Kane, how long have you lived in Gotham?"

Adeline shrugged, "Well, I've had a house here for some time, but I just started using it again after Bruce called me with that job."

"What job?" Dick asked; this was news.

"The one protecting Project Firewall. I run a smaller company that works as security people or, more commonly, spies," Adeline told him, "So Bruce called me up and asked if I could help him out a bit."

Dick thought for a moment and then he remembered:

_"Of course, Mr. Wayne." Lucius answered. "Oh, by the way, Detectives Yin and Bennett commented yesterday that you might want to take into consideration some extra security for this project because of Gotham's interest. Apparently, the Mayor mentioned it to Gordon."_

_"I'll call around. I might have a cousin who does that sort of thing." Bruce mentioned._

_"Wait, you have a cousin?' Dick asked._

_"Not sure." Bruce pondered it for a moment. "Ah, well, suppose I'll get it done eventually."_

So he hadn't been lying like Dick had originally thought he might be. He knew Adeline... "I also visited for that family reunion of Bruce's a couple months ago. I'm not that surprised that Alfred didn't remember me. That party was so crowded; I'm surprised how well it went."

Dick's eyes widened further as he remembered that as well. Did he see her? He thought about it for a moment and then Adeline laughed.

"I remember spilling punch over someone's shirt; that was awkward," Adeline stated with a laugh and then Dick remembered her doing so.

He leaned back. Okay, so she was definitely related to Bruce. Man, that was just... incredible. Even more incredible was the fact that Dick didn't even know her. The car stopped and Dick looked outside of the window at a decent two-story house. He hadn't even noticed that they had entered the suburbs. Adeline got out of the car, while Dick stared. She opened the trunk and knocked Dick into his senses with the sound. He opened his car door and went to get his stuff. He saw Adeline go for the two suitcases with his Robin supplies in it.

"Uh, I'll get those. They're, uh, a little fragile," He said.

"Alright," Adeline said and grabbed two others.

They walked up to the door and Adeline got out her keys. The door opened and Dick got his first look inside his new home. It was modern, but with a touch of traditional wooden interior. It was very warm and comfortable. Adeline shrugged.

"It's not much, but it's home," She said, "Come on in. I'll show you your room."

Dick nodded and followed her up the steps. The upstairs were a bit different. There was less of a wooden interior and instead held a traditional 60's style, despite there being few decorations. Adeline opened a door and Dick looked inside the room. She went in and put down his suitcases. The room was wide and had everything he needed. He was... well, surprised. How she had gotten all of this in such a short amount of notice was, to be blunt, mind blowing. She smiled and went back to get more of his bags. He soon followed her down and continued to help her with his stuff. His stuff, he should be doing this. Dick shook his head. It took a couple minutes, but eventually they got all of his stuff inside and into his new room.

Adeline stretched and asked, "Do you want to unpack or should I show you around the house first?"

"Um, I'll unpack first. Thanks Ms. Kane," Dick answered.

Adeline nodded and then left him alone. Dick now took a better look at the room. It was the first time he noticed how... divided it was. And that there were two beds to boot. On one side of the room, there was a bed with blue sheets and on the other there was a bed with green sheets. Then there were two dressers and two closets. He opened up the drawers and closets and found them both to be empty. The walls were bare. It was odd. Despite there being two of nearly everything, it was as though everything had been stripped of personality save for the sheets. It couldn't be a guest room. He didn't think, anyway. A guest room would have the same colored sheets on the beds.

Dick shook his head as he continued to unpack. He'd ask Ms. Kane about it all later. When he got down to his last two bags, the bags with his... equipment, he looked around the room for a safe hiding place. Where would Ms. Kane _not_ look if she was to go into the room? To the side of the room there was a toy box. Maybe? Dick walked over to the box, which hadn't looked like it had been touched in years. There was a small lock on it, but that was an easy thing to remove.

Upon opening it, Dick found two types of toys. Action figures from GI Joe and music toys. He looked at the closed door and then at the box. He then began to carefully move the toys to the side until he could fit his suitcases into the box. Strangely enough, it fit perfectly. Keeping out a lock pick for his pocket and closing the toy box, Dick got up and left the room. Walking downstairs, he found Ms. Kane in the kitchen. Upon seeing him she smiled.

"You all situated?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Dick told her.

"What do you want for lunch?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Lunch, you up for sandwiches?" She asked him again.

"Um, uh, sure," Dick answered. He didn't realize that it was already one'o'clock in the afternoon.

"How's ham and cheese, sound? 'Fraid it's all I got," She told him.

"That's fine," He answered.

He watched her make the sandwiches. It didn't take long and soon they were both sitting on the island eating.

"So, how you holding up?" She asked after a moment.

Dick shrugged, "Best as I can, I guess."

Adeline nodded, but looked up as Dick asked her, "Ms. Kane? That... My room, it wasn't a guest room, was it?"

Adeline's eyes widened for a moment, but then went back to a soft gaze, "Not exactly. That was my sons' room. They're out of the house now."

"Do they visit often?" Dick asked.

"Sometimes. Every now and then," Adeline said sadly.

Dick decided to stop prodding for answers. Obviously there was something painful there. And considering that he had yet to see another man in the house and that Ms. Kane hadn't mentioned any other man, he could probably assume that they were separated, or the more likely option, divorced.

When he finished his sandwich, Ms. Kane asked, "You want a tour of the house?"

"Uh, sure," He replied.

Getting off the island seats, he followed Ms. Kane around the first floor of the house, "In here's the living room. Beyond that door's my office. The entertainment room's in there. In front of that is the open room. Bathroom's right here."

Dick had to admit, this was a really nice house. The decorations in the room were patriotic, but in a humble manner.

"Downstairs is storage and my workout room," She told him, "Upstairs we've got another bathroom in the hallway. My room's right next to it and down the hall is a guest room. Not much else other than that."

Dick nodded as she finished the small tour, "Thanks Ms. Kane. Really."

"It's no problem, Dick," She told him.

"Um, just wondering, but Ms. Kane, when do you work normally, like, what do you do during the week?" He asked, an innocent enough question.

"Mostly I work from nine to five. It's a long day for me," She answered, "Other than that, I do whatever needs to be done."

Dick nodded, "Alright, cool, thanks."

Ms. Kane shrugged, "Well, that actually reminds me. Gotham wants you to go back into the school system. I was going to wait to see what you'd like to do. I can't pay for that private school, unfortunately."

"Um, well, I'll think about it," Dick answered, "Thanks Ms. Kane."

"You're welcome, Dick, and feel free to look around the neighborhood. It's a good area," She told him, "There's a bike in the garage."

Dick nodded, but instead went up to his room. He flipped open his communicator to see his friend's faces pop up on the screen.

"Dude, you surviving?" Beast Boy teased.

"It's cool. She seems nice enough. I think I'll call the R-Cycle tonight, though. I can probably pull this off," Dick told them.

"So where should we meet you?" Cyborg asked.

"Downtown, right by the docks opposite the Narrows," Dick told them.

"Alright," Raven said, "We'll be there."

"Be careful, Robin," Starfire told him.

"I will. See you 'round twelve," He answered.

Below in her office, Adeline sat down in her chair. She looked up at the many awards and sighed. Another kid. Another kid. She held her chest as she opened up the drawer. Somehow, she hated that feeling, but loved it all the same. From inside, she pulled out a picture of her boys. Her boys, both happy in that picture. How quickly that had all fallen apart. She felt the bitterness return. She thought back on their sweet smiles. How they had taken after her and...

When was the last time she had checked up on him anyway? He was working on the West coast. That's what she'd last heard and apparently he'd been making quite a name for himself too. Maybe she should check up on him, though. Shouldn't be too hard. She made a mental note of it and began to do some desk work. She thought about her current situation. Dick seemed like a sweet enough kid. She wished that she had at least gotten the chance to talk to Bruce about him more so that she didn't feel so clueless. She sighed. Well, if she could get through day one, she could probably get through the rest of them.

Adeline continued to do her company's paper work while the picture of her kids sat off to the side smiling up at her like they never would again.

-T-

Robin felt the pulse of the city and it's diamond skyscrapers. It was on all accounts alive. And it wreaked of that feeling, the one that makes your blood boil. Like it has to work harder so that you are ready. He was on top of one of the skyscrapers in Midtown which was alive tonight. The socialites were below him, laughing as they flaunted their wealth. Without a care in the world. How nice. Not really, he thought. The buildings sparkled with flashing lights. Time to go.

He leaned forward and spread out his arms to his sides, letting himself fall forward. The lights flashed against his face, but that didn't affect his focus. He had to do this just right. He shot out a zip line and swung around the next building over where he released the line just in time to land on the monorail. He held on as the train sped past the buildings and he felt the wind whipping his hair. He felt alive tonight, but alive with a poison slowly infiltrating his blood stream. He smiled. Good.

His stop was coming up. The Boy Wonder began to run and then jumped onto one of the ratty rooftops, the glamour of Midtown now long gone as he entered the downtown island right after the train left the Narrows. It was a filthy place where he could smell rotting alcohol in the streets along with those who hadn't bathed in ages. Yeah, this was also Gotham. Then again, how could that really be such a surprise? The others weren't here yet. But they would be soon.

Robin stopped and let his cape whip backwards; he loved this feeling. It held a certain tingle that ran through his blood and made him pull a corner of his lips into a small smile. He found the bar he was looking for. The Stacked Deck. Time for some theatrics. The Boy Wonder went around back and hit the power rig. Instantly, the music that had been pumping loudly cut off and a bunch of screams were heard. They were panicking, good. People began to come out. He waited. He wanted the scum and they'd stick around, not hit the road like everyone else.

"Man, that was a total bomb, thought that our one night off would be worth our time, Dean," One of the men said.

"Don't blame me, 'sides, we got a fifty fifty chance of gettin' off tomorrows too," Dean said.

"Well, I don't care whatever the chances are, I wanted a night..."

Robin smiled.

Now.

They never stood a chance. Not too far away, the Titans flew towards the area.

"Any idea as to where he actually wanted to meet us?" Cyborg asked to no one in particular.

"Hey, it's Robin, I'm sure we'll..." Beast Boy started but he was cut off by a short scream.

The four Titans sped up and around a corner where they stopped and found Robin. The Boy Wonder held a poor sap up by the shirt and he was completely enshrouded in the shadows. His cape clutched his sides and the gleam in his eyes reminded them of... of... something... dangerous.

Robin yelled at the man harshly, "I asked you a question, and seriously, I don't want to lose my temper. So, where... is... Ravager?"

"Uh, uh, don't know, he's new. He... he... check My Alibi! Check Alibi! They'll probably know. I don't know nothin'! Boss never mentioned no Ravager!" The man whimpered as the lights from Cyborg's car hit his face and Robin stared him down.

He threw the man off to the side and stood at his full height. The Titans stared at him, as though too scared to say a word. His eyes were narrowed as he approached him.

"We've got a location," Robin told them and walked past the T-Car.

"Dude, that was intense," Beast Boy commented.

Robin said nothing as his R-Cycle road up and screeched to a halt.

"Where to, Rob?" Cyborg asked, resigned to the fact that Robin wasn't about to elaborate.

Robin put on his helmet snugly and answered, "My Alibi."

He then revved the engine and sped off. The others followed, with some difficulty. They found themselves soon riding past the big leagues of the city through the back roads. They headed east and soon they saw Robin abandon his R-Cycle. Cyborg got out and the others followed their leader. It was getting increasingly dark outside, as though the lights were being shut out from sight. Robin kept at it, racing ahead of them all. They ultimately reached a corner in which none of them could tell where their leader had gone.

"Great," Beast Boy said, "Now what do we do."

"Look, up there!" Raven pointed out.

They caught a glimpse of Robin jumping up onto the top of the roof. They soared up to the top of the building where they finally saw a pink hue shining and giving Robin only an outline as the wind hit him. Starfire went forward first to see what Robin saw.

"Robin?" She asked.

"My Alibi," Robin said and she looked over at the bar, "Cy, go to the front door. BB, the left window. Rae, the back. Star, the right window."

"What about you?" Cyborg asked.

Robin waited for a moment before responding, "You'll see."

The others nodded and got into position. His lips were drawn tight. He watched them all disperse. Cyborg got down to the bottom and waited. Once he got the go ahead, he'd storm the place. All of them. All at once.  
"Alright guys, you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Raven answered.

"Alright, Titans, Go!" He yelled as he slammed open the door shocking the pool players inside.

Instantly it was chaos. The four Titans came in as blurs as they fought. But it was just them. Just the four of them. And still, this was Gotham. Every man fought here. Every man. Starfire looked around the room. She had not seen Robin enter since she had arrived. Where had he...?

**_Clash!_**

The glass above them shattered while the new guest spread out, something that resembled wings. They landed on the table, launching half a dozen smoke bombs. With a quick snap, a bo-staff emerged from their hand and they quickly began to dispense of the rest of the criminals, taking down more than half of them in a matter of seconds. It was almost over before he even began. The smoke settled and they finally were able to see through the smoke. But what they saw and heard next was much more... unsettling then what they had seen their leader do earlier.

"Please, please, come on, man, don't..."

Robin chuckled lowly and coldly, "Stop cowering and answer my question. Where. Is. Ravager?"

"I don't know! I don't take no orders from no Ravager!" The man squirmed.

"Then who does?" Robin yelled.

"I don't know! No one's been moving lately. Two Face, he just started up, gatherin' again! Maybe he'd know," The man confessed. The Titans watched the man's sad plea in shock.

But Robin's face held no pity. Like a demon.

Robin threw the man into one of the corners of the broken pool table, knocking him out cold. He walked past the Titans and outside. Unsure as to what to do, they followed him. There was a long moment of silence as no one moved. All they heard was the scampering of rats and the sound of the gravel between their shoes and the street.

Starfire was the first to speak, "Robin?"

"Dude, that wasn't... that wasn't cool," Beast Boy said.

"Man, come on, that wasn't normal for you," Cyborg continued.

"Where does Ms. Kane think you are?" Raven asked.

"Asleep," Robin told her, "I left around eleven."

"But, dude, where did that..." Beast Boy started.

Robin sighed and hit a button on his belt, "I'm fine. I just... I get caught up, like... It's the city. That's all."

"Robin," Raven grabbed his arm and Robin turned to look at her.

Robin and Raven locked eyes. She knew that there was more than his thirst for Ravager's justice to be brought out. But that's what worried her the most. She didn't want that thirst to grow anymore than it already was. And whatever else it was that was causing him to act this way, well, she could pretty much say that it was Bruce's absence. After all, when they had worked with Batman earlier, the Dark Knight had a similar disposition when dealing with criminals. Perhaps it was a bit a hereditary reaction then.

"Robin?" Starfire asked.

Robin looked over at her. Her eyes were rightfully filled with concern. For a moment, he felt himself feel like something flooded into him and replaced the intensity of the night that Gotham had leaked into his system. Guilt, guilt for making her, them all worry. She walked up to him as Raven replaced her hood and stepped back.

"Starfire," Robin started, before looking at the others, "Guys, I'm... Sorry. It's just... It's just Gotham. And..."

They watched him for a moment as he looked at the ground, "... It's hard knowing that I'm not returning to the cave tonight."

"Dude, don't worry," Beast Boy told him, "You'll get through this."

"We all will, man; always do," Cyborg added.

Robin nodded, but he knew still, that this was going to affect him more than the others.

"Let's move to a different subject," Raven told them.

"Yes," Starfire added, "Where would we find this two-faced of which they speak of?"

"Two Face, Starfire," Robin corrected, "This criminal, Two Face, his real name is Harvey Dent. He used to be a DA for Gotham, but after a freak accident at one of his trials, his face was distorted by acid and so was his mentality."

"Ouch," Beast Boy said, remembering some of his earlier attempts to shape shift when he was younger that ended up in some really bad distortions.

"That happened before I became Robin, so I didn't know Harvey. Two Face bases his crimes off of a flip of the coin. Half of them are for the 'betterment' of society, the other are to 'wreak havoc'. But because of Harvey's distorted views, in our views, his crimes border more so towards that of chaos," Robin continued.

"Please tell me we're not dealing with another Joker," Cyborg asked.

Robin shook his head, "Not exactly, Two Face is a little more... restrained. Kind of a bit quick to the point too after you get his mind games. I know that Batman had considered him to be his friend at one point too, when he was the DA."

"So you think it could be this Two Face?" Starfire asked.

Robin shook his head, "No. But the fact that Two Face hasn't been doing anything lately might mean he knows something."

"That's your best lead?" A voice asked from above them.

The team turned to see Red X smugly leaning against the fire escape two floors up.

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked, annoyed.

"Didn't want to stay the whole night in the room, kid," Red X told him.

"How much did you hear?" Robin asked.

Red X shrugged as he jumped down, "Don't really keep track of that sort of thing, kid. I've been up there for an hour."

"Don't credit yourself," Raven said, "I knew you were up there as soon as you stepped around the corner; you only heard about our lead with Two Face."

Red X glared at her and then turned to the leader, "Look, here's my advice. You need some real leads. Ones that won't take forever to follow."

"And how do you suggest that we get those?" Robin asked.

He could tell Red X was smiling under the mask, "Well... I might be able to help you out there."

"How so?" Robin asked, feigning ignorance as to what Red X was about to suggest.

"How's about I go in for you?" Red X asked.

"Dude, what?" Beast Boy asked, "Thought you wanted to stay up in the room forever ordering breakfast in bed."

Red X shot him a quick glare, "Well, that's the thing. I don't. And honestly, after my little trip 'round Gotham here tonight, I kinda like it here."

"Figures," Cyborg commented.

"For a small price, I might be willing to help you out there, Robin. I mean, you've said it yourself: Red X can get closer to the villains than you ever could," Red X recited.

Robin's eyes narrowed as the two masks locked. Starfire looked back and forth between the two. Oddly enough, though, she noticed that Robin did not clench up his hand into a fist. Normally, she would have suspected such a thing from him; it was never likely that he'd make a deal with a villain for something of this nature.

"Alright then," Robin said, "I'll call you with the details tomorrow."

"How you going to call me, kid?" Red X smirked as the team began to walk off with Robin.

Robin smiled, "Who designed that suit, X?"

Red X's shock could be seen for the moment, but then it turned into amusement as he called back, "Touche, Boy Wonder, touche!"

The Titans walked back to their vehicles to part ways. Robin gave Starfire a quick hug before watching them all race back to midtown. Robin sighed. It took only a matter of minutes for him to get back to the outskirts in the suburbs. He got off a couple blocks away from Ms. Kane's house and snuck back in as quietly as he could. He looked around the corner and saw Ms. Kane's door shut. He sighed and began to get ready for the three hours of sleep he actually hoped for. Jumping under the covers, Dick pulled them over his shoulders. It was getting colder now, he noted. November was here. Dick looked outside the window for a moment. The wind blew against the house.

Sighing, Dick let his head reach the pillow as he let himself succumb to sleep. He could worry about other things, Ravager tomorrow. He didn't know about the camera that was watching him through the window. He didn't know that in Uptown Gotham, one of his greatest foes was watching him. Slade smiled. So the Boy Wonder was going to keep this up. He wondered how long that would last. Hopefully long enough. But then again, knowing Robin, he knew shouldn't worry. Slade should never underestimate him. And he never intended to.

The winter's cold crept into Gotham. It was going to be a cold hard winter. And if the weather didn't assure it, Slade made a note to himself to make sure that he would.

-T-

**A/N:** Well, there you have it. Slade's master plan is finally coming out into the open. Not quite there yet, but soon enough. And you see, I was planning for Adeline to come into this story the whole time! You really have to pay attention to details in this story, don't you? Lol. Well, in any case, I hope you all liked the chapter. It took a while to get done, but I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out. I don't know, I had a lot of fun with this. So yeah, I hope you liked it. Please review and stay awesome like you are! Later!

Rena


	19. Chapter 19: To Hope

**Disclaimer:** Sure, I own them. Like I own Danny Phantom too. If you can't catch the sarcasm, then here it is flat out: I don't own Teen Titans or DC Comics and certainly not "Robin: Year One". If you don't get that, then there's no hope for you at all.

**Author's Note:** Well, what do you know? I actually updated. I didn't think I'd be able to this week, but here it is! Oh, and for you comic book fanatics, I have a ton of references in here for you. Ok, not a ton, but enough, right? Right. Oh, and I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I know that there's a slight dip in the action (I mean, after what I did to Wayne Tower and all... you probably still want to stone me for that), but I promise, this will begin to pick up once again. I mean really, how long can I possibly drag this out? LOL. Well, I'll stop ranting and let you get to the story: "Chapter Nineteen: To Hope"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Nineteen: To Hope**

One of the things that Lois never understood was how Clark could so easily get off work whenever he requested off. Clark never questioned it though and was just grateful that Diana had such a free schedule. They had been dealing with separate threats over the past week. He dealt with Toy Man while she dealt with the Silver Swan. To be perfectly honest, if something went off now, though, they'd probably both yell at the Green twins, Hal and Ollie, to deal with it.

Alfred answered the door and let them in. Diana quickly pulled off her work suit once they were in, glad to take off the constricting outfit. Her costume gleamed even in the faint light while Clark slowly took off his civilian clothes in a more fashionable manner.

"I assume your trips went well," Alfred remarked.

"Very, thank you, Alfred," Diana told him.

"Yeah, sorry we couldn't get here sooner," Clark said.

"Not a problem," Alfred said.

Diana asked, "How's Dick doing?"

"To my knowledge he is doing just fine. Ms. Kane has had him for the past week and I've heard nothing but good reports for him," Alfred relayed.

"What's he been up to?" Clark asked.

Alfred sighed, "He and the Titans have been active in the evenings, watching over Gotham. That's all he's really said, but I'm certain that he's probably attempting to find this Ravager character."

Clark shook his head while Diana replied, "Well, as long as he hasn't broken an arm, I think it's time that it's about time that we look into that clock."

Clark rolled his eyes as he and Alfred followed Diana to Bruce's office. Diana kicked the clock while Alfred nearly fainted in response, "Please don't! That's an antique!"

"Alright then, well, let's at least get it off the door," Wonder Woman said shrugging, "Superman?"

Superman nodded and carefully pulled the clock off of the door, placing it to the side. He then used his heat vision to melt through the door's solid block of steel. Soon, the sound of screeching bats were heard along with running water from the cave below. Superman began the long descent down with Wonder Woman and Alfred behind him. It was slow, excrutiatingly slow, and as they got farther down, Wonder Woman noticed something. Clark was getting slower too, as though he didn't want to go down any more. About half way down though, her reasons changed as a blaring siren was activated.

_**"SECURITY BREACH!! SECURITY BREACH!! SECURITY BREACH!!"**_

Superman and Wonder Woman looked to both sides as they heard the screeches of the bats grow. But that wasn't it. Like it ever was. Superman gasped as Kryptonite shot into the open and clipped to his shirt, leaving the Kryptonian with only the ability to fall to the ground. Wonder Woman pushed Alfred up the steps and pulled Superman to the side. She flew downwards until she saw a door slam down in front of her, all access denied. She pounded the door a few times until she gave up, for the moment. She walked back up the steps, where she had left Superman.

She began to pull off the kryptonite clasps, bitterly, "Alfred, come on! I need you to bring down a lead box!"

"On my way, Ms. Prince," Alfred called.

As she got off the last of the clasps, Wonder Woman felt a bitter sense of anger grow in her throat. He had expected them. Expected them and what had he done? He'd put up defenses! Defenses, of all things. She tried to bite her lip, as she attempted to convince herself that Bruce was probably just being careful, wary if the JLA were to ever go rogue. Alfred was down in a matter of moments and held the lead box. Wonder Woman dumped the remaining pieces of Kryptonite into the box and shut it, and Superman immediately seemed to revive from the bout of sickness.

Superman shook his head, "Well, that wasn't fun."

"Did you know about this, Alfred?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I knew that Master Bruce had put in security measures, but I never guessed that he would put it in for the Justice League," Alfred told her.

Wonder Woman rolled her eyes, "It figures, though."

"Is the cave sealed?" Superman asked.

"Yeah, not much of a way in unless we dig," Wonder Woman replied.

Alfred interrupted, "Which would be a very poor decision considering how unstable the rock formations are as it is."

"Let's just see this door," Superman said, and the trio once again began to walk down the moist steps.

Reaching the door, Superman put his hands up to it and pushed. It wouldn't budge. Besides, he wasn't too excited to encounter another round of Kryptonite poisoning.

"Alright then," he said after a moment.

He adjusted his vision, the X-rays taking in perfect images of the various levels of the Batcave. Superman sighed.

"What? What is it?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I..." Superman stopped for a moment, before turning for the exit, "I just almost hoped that he was down there."

"Clark..." Wonder Woman started, but Superman continued up the stairs.

Reaching the top, Superman finally turned to the other two, "You, you don't know. If there was one person that I always thought would live through it all, other than you Diana, it was Wayne, but to find that Bat-Symbol, to find it over that dead body... It scared me, like at the moment, I was actually human in one of the most deadly situations ever."

Wonder Woman bent her head down while Alfred offered words of comfort, "Superman, if there's one thing I knew about Master Bruce, it's that, he lived to protect others from his own pain. He would not want you or anyone else to dwell on his death. He'd want you to keep being the hero you are."

Wonder Woman added, "Yeah, that sounds like what Bruce would want. Come on, Clark, why don't we get something to eat? Get your mind off of things?"

Clark nodded, when he looked up as though he heard something else, "Uh, one second."

In an instant, Clark flew past them and back, with his cell phone at hand, "Hello? Jimmy? Hi, I um, well yeah, but, alright, Lois did what? What did Perry say? I... What's going... Bizarro? Why's he... Alright. Okay. I'll... Why not? I..."

Clark looked at his phone as Jimmy hung up, "Apparently Bizarro's capture is still causing the MPD trouble."

"Figures," Wonder Woman stated.

"I better get back home," Superman said, "Call me with the final report, Alfred?"

"I will as soon as I get it," Alfred nodded.

Superman smiled slightly and flew off to get his stuff and head back home. Wonder Woman remained silent for a moment as she and Alfred walked back to the main hall. She took note of the place. It seemed... so empty and quiet. Her footsteps echoed all around them. She wondered how Alfred could stand this. She never realized how much life even Bruce could bring to this estate.

"Would you like something before you go, Ms. Prince?" Alfred asked.

"Huh? Oh no, I just... You know, I get why Clark's so down about this. The place isn't the same," She said.

Alfred nodded, "I must admit, I see it myself... But I try to focus on other things, such as keeping this place in order and keeping in contact with others."

"You've seen a lot of people die, Alfred," She said out of the blue.

"And probably many more," Alfred said, "But if I know they could be happy with what their final actions were, I can lay it to rest."

"You think he was happy?" Wonder Woman asked.

"He was protecting young Master Dick, was he not?" Alfred asked.

Wonder Woman sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

The two walked off to the door, where Alfred saw Diana off. He looked off at the horizon with Gotham's skyline. He sighed. He had to admit, Gotham was different. It wasn't the same as it was years before the Dark Knight. It was worse and now it seemed like it was in the pit of despair. It was hanging by a thread and he hoped that somehow, it could hold on.

-T-

Adeline got out of her car and walked into Wayne Tower. Her morning had been nothing but a disorganized mess. She was still getting used to having Dick at home and while the kid had done nothing wrong, he sure added a whole new element to her mornings. Just this morning, she had jumped into a cold shower and found out later that he had taken a hot one moments earlier. And then of course, making another breakfast was another story. She was starting to think that maybe she should just listen to him and let him fend for himself, but at the same time, she almost enjoyed the company and having to worry about someone else.

Opening the doors, she made her way up by the staircase (there was only one working elevator and that had a line). Besides, she liked the exercise. Getting to the twelfth floor, Adeline walked up to several co-workers asking her for information. This always happened. It was like being swarmed by gnats. It kept her for a couple minutes from going into see Mr. Earle and Fox to complete the finalization about the investigation. Within the office, Mr. Earle and a few board members were in a heated argument with Fox.

"...with the success of Project Firewall, what reason do you have to demote me?"

"Every reason."

"Wayne wanted the company to..."

"He left me at the head, Fox, and I expect you to be treat me as such," Earle remarked.

"You're not the owner, Earle. And personally, I have much more respect for him than I do you," Fox backfired, "You just have never liked the fact that I actually play it safe."

"You're being demoted and that's the end of it," Earle told him, "Effective immediately."

Fox eyed Earle harshly and he would have stormed right out of the office if it hadn't been for Adeline walking into the room at that moment.

"Ms. Kane," He said.

"Hi, Fox, I'm sorry. I got barraged as usual while coming in," Adeline said.

"Yes, but normally it doesn't take you this long," Earle noted.

Adeline stared at him for a moment before Earle continued, "Fox, why don't you and Ms. Kane go up and get the final report about the damage to our building?"

Fox almost huffed his answer, but decided against it, "Yes sir."

The two walked out of the office and to their luck, found the one elevator that was working close by and on the way up to them. Earle sat back in his chair. Maybe this time, it would work for him. He'd waited over a decade to get this company to go public again. This time, he was ready to actually make it happen. Then again, at the moment, that was a very unrealistic goal. A more appropriate one would be to survive the next five minutes after he finished signing his name to demote Fox.

Inside the elevator, Fox sighed, "I'm sorry about him."

"Oh no, it's fine, I should have been here earlier anyway. I'm starting to remember what it feels like to be a Mom," She conveyed.

"He's doing well?" Fox asked.

"Very," Adeline said, "He's adjusting much better than I expected. I'm still trying to get out of him whether he wants to go to school or not though."

"Knowing him, whatever answer he gives you wouldn't surprise me," Fox said, "He's always been a logical kid, that's for sure. Doesn't act that way all the time, but he is deep down."

"I'm realizing that," Adeline said jokingly.

They were quiet for a couple moments until the elevator reached the highest floor. They had two more flights to go. Walking up, Fox's movements were slow.

"You know, these murders... I just, it's such a brutal way of dieing," Fox commented, "I mean, even when I first knew Austin, I just, he didn't seem like such a person who would have been on a murder list. Then again, I suppose they never are. Wayne... Maybe. Because of his position. But I had never even heard of some of the others."

"You knew Austin?" Kane asked.

"He used to be a socialite in Gotham when he was younger. I saw him at several of the functions held here at Wayne Tower, believe it or not," Fox said with a smile, "Good friends with the Waynes, that one."

"I see," Adeline said as the reached the top.

As they opened the latch to the top, they walked into the remaining level of the damaged tower's top. There were others around doing research on the damaged building. They could still see walls around them, but they were scorched and Adeline instantly smelled something dead. Dead like it had been cooked. However, that wasn't the only thing she that she noticed. She suddenly felt incredibly light headed.

"Are you okay, Ms. Kane?" Fox asked.

"Just a little, dizzy, I guess..." Adeline started.

"Well, that constitutes a part of what we've discovered," Fox told her.

Adeline raised an eyebrow and followed Fox over to a table of equipment and a small laptop, "The chemical, that Ravager used to torch the place, was not gasoline as we originally thought."

"What?" Adeline asked.

"It was another chemical, called 'Hexane'," Fox explained.

"Hexane?" Adeline repeated.

"It has many of the same properties as gasoline. But a few notable characteristics, it reacts with solvents to create and extract cooking oil and is also used to create glues. It's remains are also the reason you're feeling dizzy because it's a mild form of anesthesia. And of course, it's flammable," Fox said.

"So what are you saying, Fox?" She asked.

"Look around," Fox told her.

She looked. The Hexane had done a lot of damage, a considerable amount. Things were either melted or a charcoal black. But it was only until she noticed two workers picking up a door that she noticed something else. The door wouldn't budge. Down several stories below, Earle finished the paperwork for demoting Fox and handed it off to one of his secretaries. He sat back in his chair. It was good to be on top again. Very good.

Slade watched him, hidden in the shadows, "I thought you'd never finish Mr. Earle."

Earle spun around to face the man, his eyes wide with shock, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Oh you'll find out," Slade said, taking out a torch gun.

But back up above, Adeline, oblivious to what was going on below her, turned back towards Fox with a hard glare, "You mean to tell me that this... this... Hexane... and whatever it was mixed with, it was... It..."

"It cooked it's victims, Ms. Kane. They caught fire, they burned thanks to the immense heat, when it got hot enough, they became trapped in the glue covered walls and floors, and eventually, they passed out as it or the smoke knocked them out," Fox finished.

Adeline held her breath as Fox finished, "Someone, someone really planned this. They really wanted Wayne dead and they weren't going to take any chances."

Adeline's eyes were still for a moment. She fought off the urge to think about such a horrible way of dieing. But her thoughts were caught off by the sound of two gunshots. Looking down below, Adeline immediately went into action and flew down several flights of stairs. Earle! He had to be the target. No one else would be. He was running the company. She had to get there in time. She had...

Kicking open the doors to Earle's office, the site was not pleasant. There was another one. A ring of soot and ash. Just like the pictures she had seen of the cops before. And Earle was no where to be seen. Worse yet, there were two bullets inside a wall. But to top off all of this though, there was no culprit. No one.

Adeline clenched her jaw as she lowered her gun to the ground. Why... Why... Something wasn't right. Why not finish off burning Wayne Tower to the ground? Huh? Why not? Adeline stepped back for a moment as she raised her phone up to her ear, dialing 911 subconsciously.

"Hello?"

Adeline didn't answer.

"Hello?" They repeated, "Is anyone there?"

Finally she hit her senses, "Yes, this is Adeline Kane, security head of Wayne Tower. We've got another murder."

-T-

The day seemed slow after that. Adeline watched as the police came up and surrounded the area. She had let them examine everything. She had seen Gordon and Yin going ballistic over this. Eventually, she just locked herself in the security room, watching the tape in Earle's office over and over again. It had turned off right when the assassin needed it to and then back on again moments later.

In her gut, Adeline didn't believe that this was Ravager at all. From what they knew, Ravager had been a gun for hire. Dick had even said that he was easily distracted. Not a mastermind, by the sounds of it. It just didn't fit. The day dragged by. She felt numb at the wheel of her car, despite being totally aware of her surroundings. It felt so out of her control. How could she have missed the culprit by a few minutes? How?

Getting out of her car, Adeline walked up the stairs and fumbled around for her keys, listening to the crickets chirp. It was late. Opening the door, Adeline wearily entered the house and closed the door.

"Hi, Ms. Kane," Adeline jumped at the voice and turned to see Dick at the kitchen counter.

"Oh, oh Dick, you scared me, I'm sorry," She told him.

"Oh, sorry," Dick said.

"Don't be," Adeline told him and then she noticed what he was doing, fixing something, a salad.

"I hope you don't mind," Dick said, "I, you didn't come back and it's like nine."

"Oh, no, I'm, I don't mind," Adeline told him, "But I think you'll need more than that."

"Um, no, I'm good..." Dick trailed off as Adeline immediately went to the fridge and began to pull out food items.

Dick watched her as she took his plate and began to add items to it. Her moments were hasty, but as Dick watched, he noticed her fingers shook and she fumbled with everything.

"Ms. Kane? Are you..." Dick started.

"Huh?" Adeline asked, "I... I'm... I'm fine."

Dick looked at her. Throughout the day, he had kept himself busy. Working on files off of his laptop and trying to put back together some of his equipment. He felt bad because she was working to make him something to eat when in reality, he had just noticed maybe ten minutes ago himself that he hadn't had anything for several hours. But a question sprung to his mind as he stumbled upon that fact again.

"Ms. Kane? Why did you get back so late?" He asked.

Adeline stopped moving and looking at the ground, before looking at him from the corner of her eye, "...Earle's dead."

Dick's face said it all, "What?"

"Died the same way the cop Bennett did," Adeline said.

"Ravager was there, again?" Dick asked, his voice mounting slightly in anger.

Adeline slammed a plastic container onto the table, making Dick jump, "Dick, I don't think this was Ravager."

Dick was taken back by this, "What? Why wouldn't it be? He killed Bruce!"

"Ravager is sloppy," Adeline stated, "This was clean."

Dick felt like answering that no killing was clean, but the logical part of himself held him back. That... that was true. Ravager was sloppy.

"And the idiot PD don't believe me on this," Adeline stated, "They're willing to bet it's the same guy."

Dick watched her, she looked shaken, "I guess... well... I mean, we don't know any of that..."

Adeline didn't look at him. She picked up a knife and began cutting cold chicken to add to the salad. Dick watched Ms. Kane. He could tell, by the way that she was standing, that what he had said had bothered her. Something about the whole thing bothered her. He looked up at the staircase and at the ceiling where his room was and then back at her.

"Dick, that's just it though... We don't know anything," she muttered.

She finished with the chicken and handed the plate to him. He took it, but paused before actually sitting down to eat it.

"Ms. Kane... Why does this bother you so much?" Dick asked.

Adeline felt shock at the question, but then thought for a moment about it, "I... I don't know, Dick. It just, it just does."

Dick looked at his plate and then at one of the nearby windows, while a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "Ms. Kane?"

"Yes, Dick?" She asked, obviously tired.

"Thanks," He said, "You're good at this."

Adeline chuckled, "Good at what, Dick?"

Dick shrugged, "I don't know. I good parental figure, I guess."

Adeline let a soft smile hit her face, "Thanks, I guess. Don't stay up too late ok?"

Dick nodded as Adeline grabbed a Coke from the fridge and slowly made her way upstairs. Dick took a couple slow bites. He had a feeling that he had only begun to get to know his new guardian. In particular, he was curious to know whose stuff was in his room. He shrugged. Well, if she was like Bruce, he'd find out that she was a vigilante within two days. He let out a low laugh. Yeah, sure. The likelihood of something like that happening again was so low it was laughable. He listened for any motion, nothing. He finished his food as his thoughts wandered back upstairs.

He quietly made his way upstairs, hoping that Ms. Kane was asleep. He heard nothing. Opening up the toy box, Dick put on the suit and wedged the window back open and closed. Running through the neighborhood, Robin wasn't surprised when he saw his bike coming around the corner. Jumping on, Robin put on his helmet and let the wind whip his cape behind him. Tonight he was out for his latest target: the infamous Two-Face. Over the week, he and the Titans had... found clues as to his whereabouts. However, Robin was almost sure that Two-Face knew that they knew where he was and was waiting for them.

Robin smiled. Two-Face didn't know who he was dealing with. The Titans were not from around Gotham and they fought in a whole different way.

Soon the Titans found him and they continued to ride on-- it had become a pattern for them. They followed and asked questions afterwords. No one bothered to change it because often times, they met up midtown and for some reason, being superheroes in this city and actually showing up in the brighter sections of town was deserving of people pointing and giving them remarks. It gave them a little boost in moral and confidence, which in Robin's mind, the Titans needed when they got down to the scum of this city.

The lights flashed against the smooth exterior of the T-Car and R-Cycle while it gleamed against their armors. It was liberating. Finally, they passed over to downtown Gotham. Robin led them down towards the north east section of the island near the bridge leading to the Narrows. When Robin hopped off the bike and into a crouch, his bo-staff out, the other Titans halted their motions and stopped by their leader. Robin was always crouching these days, as though remaining in a stealth mode. They didn't see his face much anymore either; it was always in shadows.

"He's here," Robin said slowly.

"So what's the plan, then?" Raven asked.

"I want you, Raven, to take out the first set of goons; they'll be expecting you. Beast Boy, Cyborg, you follow her and push your way in," Robin told them.

"And I Robin?" Starfire asked.

"You and I are going in the back way," Robin said.

Cyborg and Raven nodded at him and then went towards the front as Robin added, "Want to make a bit of a flashy entrance?"

Beast Boy smiled, "Oh yeah!"

He ran past them while Raven and Cyborg were left in the dust. Robin and Starfire held back, but it wasn't until the other three were out of sight that Starfire realized she was alone. Looking up she saw Robin climbing to the top of a nearby building. Flying up, Starfire saw Robin three roofs over, watching a building below. He didn't move and didn't acknowledge her presence. It was eerie how still he was.

"Robin?" She asked.

He didn't move, "Robin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," He told her, his eyes not moving.

She didn't know how she was supposed to disagree, but really, it was all she could do unless she changed the subject, "Are you... doing well at Ms. Kane's?"

"It's fine. Mr. Earle's dead at Wayne Industries," He conveyed, changing the subject for her.

"How did you..."

"She told me," Robin told her.

Starfire felt a cold breeze hit her and she held her arms. It was then that she noticed that he again hadn't moved. Not even bothered... His face... It was so hard, unmoving. Stony, like it had been carved out of rock. His stance was formidable, like he was ready to attack someone from the sky. It bothered her. She had seen him looking somewhat that before, but... never to this intensity.

"Robin..." She started, "You are not okay."

It was at this, Robin turned to face her, "What?"

"You... you act differently," She said, "You are less... you are..."

"Starfire... I just... Look, I want to get Ravager," Robin said.

"You wanted to get Slade, too," Starfire said.

Robin looked away, "Starfire, I'm... it's different. Gotham's... You realize what I have to do, right?"

Starfire watched him as he continued, "It's nearly defenseless. You... You realize what I was trained to do?"

"I... do, but Robin... You and I both know that when you act like this it is unhealthy," She answered.

Robin shook his head, "I'm fine, Star, for now. We'll figure it out soon, k?"

Starfire looked at him sadly, but with sigh answered, "I guess."

Starfire was surprised to see Robin in front of her with a small smile on his face, "We will. We just have to get Ravager."

Starfire nodded, but a noise coming from a nearby building distracted their attention and Starfire instantly saw Robin go back to how he was minutes ago within seconds.

"Come on, it's our cue," He said, as he slipped back into the shadows.

Starfire's disposition went back to it's rather depressed mode with his shift in behavior. She'd probably have to deal with this later as he said. But that's what really bothered her. She thought back to all of the times that Slade had ever monopolized Robin's mind. It was the same thing here. Only now, it seemed that everyone, every single crazed monstrosity was taking up his mind in this decaying city. Yes decaying, just like what she was afraid of what might happen to Robin if he continued to act this way. Throughout all of this though, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven had found the entrance to Two-Face's hideout.

"Ew," Beast Boy said, "Dude, the place looks worse than Fix It's."

"What, are you scared?" Raven asked.

"No!" Beast Boy answered, "It's just not very friendly looking, that's all."

"Well, look, I'm going to go take out those two thugs out front," Cyborg said, "You don't suppose there's more out here, do ya?"

"Doubt it," Raven told him, "Robin said Two-Face likes pairs. So unless there's another pair out here, you're probably safe. Just remember to take out those cameras first."

Cyborg knocked his head with a fist, "You think a tech-geek like me would forget something like that?"

"Just go," She said.

As they watched Cyborg sneak over, Beast Boy whispered, "Hey, Raven."

"What?" She whispered.

"What do you think of all this? This Ravager, Two-Face, and Red X stuff?" He asked.

"I just want to wrap this all up soon," Raven said, "Staying here is a bad idea."

"So you're supporting this?"

"Supporting what?"

"Like, searching for these guys. I mean, we're even trusting Red X right now," Beast Boy said.

"I'm all up for finding Wayne's killer, Beast Boy, I just want to do it quickly," Raven answered.

She had answered the question, but Beast Boy was less then satisfied. Sure, he had wanted to know what she had thought about finding Ravager, but being the mind-wandering guy that he was, he was a little more interested as to whether or not she or anyone else was a little edgy with trusting Red X. After the guy had raided the fridge, Beast Boy could hardly say that he trusted X.

Cyborg was having a little more success in his goals, but even here, even in Gotham, he was edgy. He didn't like this place. There's a difference between being a city guy in Jump and a city guy in Gotham, that's for sure. And after that hacking job, Cyborg had not been too thrilled about the prospect of having his system either hacked again or used against him. He took out the cameras with a repeating image setting. Once he was close enough, he easily knocked the two goons into each other. Wiping his hands, he waved over to Raven and Beast Boy who quickly came over.

"Mind if I start this one?" Raven asked.

"Not at all," Cyborg said, letting her pass through the solid door.

Beast Boy and Cyborg smiled as they both went for a window to hide by, "Hey Cyborg!"

"What?"

"How long do you think this will last?"

"Five minutes."

"Two minutes."

"You buy the pizza?"

"You the soda?"

Inside, Raven was unaware of her comrades' bet on her, but she had instantly appeared to about fifteen goons. Enshrouded by shadow, many of them looked at her like she was some sort of weird little girl.

"What the..." One of them began when Raven started to walk forward.

"Hey, you're not allowed past," Raven turned her head around and the thug saw her eyes glowing.

"You think I care?" Raven asked.

Instantly she shot up into the air, her telepathic energy shooting in all directions. Many of the thugs didn't expect this. And the rest didn't expect Cyborg and Beast Boy jumping out of the windows either.

"Come on, what kind of party is this?" Cyborg joked.

"Yeah, where on earth are the babes?" Beast Boy quipped.

While the three Titans took out the thugs one by one, another ran down the hallway towards his boss. Bursting into the room, he panted out to his boss the news. Two Face turned around, a gun in his hand.

"I suppose we'll have to rectify that," Two-Face said, "But not today. There's no real worth fighting for this."

"Huh?" His thug asked, but he didn't get his answer as Two-Face and the pair of twins with him left the room.

The thug didn't have to wait long when he felt a cold presence. Turning around, he saw an engulfing dark figure and she wouldn't smile. The man screamed, but it didn't keep him from getting knocked out. Raven lowered herself and breathed. For personal reasons, Raven felt her presence in Gotham was just asking for trouble. The evil here was so strong and she fed off of that.

She composed herself and voiced over her communicator, "Search the place, Two-Face has to be here."

She headed down the opposite hallway while the other two continued down their corridors. Two-Face on the other hand, was walking briskly down the hall, the gun at his side now. The two pasty faced twins followed him, despite the uncertain nature of the situation. Two-Face barely paid them heed. That is, until they were gone. Turning around, he barely had the chance to realize what was going on when he was shoved into the office next to him. With a yell, he landed on the hard edge of a desk. He pulled his gun out, but it was knocked out of his hand by a bo-staff and down to the ground. But what he finally saw, when he finally saw his opponent, he was shocked to see someone different than he'd been expecting. And they were accompanied by someone he had never seen before.

Two-Face began to chuckle, "Wow, Boy Wonder, this is certainly a surprise."

"Why should it be?"

"Who's your darling friend?" Two-Face taunted, as he reached for the gun unsuccessfully.

Robin shot a glance at Starfire and then the gun. Starfire got the message and fried the thing with a starbolt instantly. She let her eyes glow and her body revel in the energy for a moment.

"Now that I know we won't have any interruptions, what do you know about the killings? What do you know about Ravager?" Robin asked.

Two-Face laughed, "I only know that they've been a pain."

"What else?" Robin asked, harshly.

Two-Face looked at him questioningly, "You know, I'm starting to wonder why you're even doing this Robin. Shouldn't the bat be doing this? It's a little dangerous having a child out doing a man's job. What if he were to get in the way of a home run?"

Robin growled and slammed Two-Face up into the wall, "You don't get it, do you?"

Two-Face looked up as Robin continued, "I'm not some sidekick anymore, Dent. In case you haven't noticed, my entire team is swarming your pathetic hideout and taking every one of your goons out. And I'm perfectly willing to knock you out too."

Two-Face smiled and Robin head-butted the man, scaring Starfire, "Don't think I'm some kid you can beat with a baseball bat."

Two-Face spat out the blood from his lip, not in the least bit pleased with that last attack, "What's the change in attitude for?"

"Answer. My. Question," Robin seethed.

Dent glared at Robin for a moment, studying his face. It was unyielding, "I don't know anything about it. Joker does. He got involved with the head's plan because he couldn't stand waiting. They were getting paid big to take out Wayne. With all the maniacs running around, I wouldn't know where to start. All I got was a warning not to pull anything during that time."

Robin eyed him. He knew that Two-Face wasn't telling him everything and he knew that Two-Face deliberately was doing so too. It would be his ticket out of Arkham. But at least he had a lead with Joker. Throwing Two-Face to the side, Robin hand-cuffed him to a wall while Two-Face tried to remain conscious.

"You're... You're growing, heh, to be a lot like him," Two-Face said, before passing out.

Robin smiled, "Good."

He left the room, Starfire looking after him. That was just what she was afraid of. She didn't know what she had just witnessed. She didn't understand half of it. But she could certainly understand that she didn't like it and that Robin's actions were far from ordinary. They were... he was... it was scary.

Outside, Starfire caught up with the rest of the team, with the police showing up as well. She watched everything unfold. She watched Two-Face being taken away. They caught sight of each other and when Two-Face smiled at her with a deranged look, Starfire looked at him with an expression that said nothing but disgust. She held her arms. It was getting cold.

"Gordon says he needs to get us security clearance to get to see Joker," Robin confirmed, "But that could take a while. So I think our best bet for now is to keep working during the night."

The others nodded and got into the T-Car while Starfire watched Robin climb aboard the R-Cycle and head out his own way. She didn't think he was going back to Ms. Kane's either. Getting in the car because she didn't want to stay outside, Starfire leaned against the seat and didn't bother to tell Beast Boy to change out of being a puppy dog on her lap for the ride.

She was right. Robin didn't go home. Ms. Kane was nice. Yeah. But it didn't feel like home. Wayne Manor hadn't even felt like home. It was more like a morgue for him now. He thought of Starfire's face from earlier. He rode towards the center of the city again. Shooting up a jump line, Robin began to climb up towards the top of a nearby building. He rested next to one of the gargoyles and watched the city move. In some ways, it was very pretty. Very calming. In others, the filth pervaded the sky. He thought about Ravager and Two-Face.

He knew he was worrying his team. He knew that. It had been something that he had never quite been very good at. With Batman, he had always worried too much. So when the Titans worried, he often took it the same way. But he knew that they worried like friends did. They weren't there to babysit him. Like any friends though, they were there when they needed to be for him. He got up and leaned on the gargoyle's head and sighed.

No one, no one knew this city like he did. No one anymore. He saw so much beauty in it. So much potential. There was almost a sense of a strong rooting, like nothing could destroy it. He knew the little alley ways. He knew where the best place was to get a home-style breakfast. He knew where the homeless could go for help. He knew where there were single moms who would tuck their kids into bed with a kiss on their forehead with a smile.

He wondered if Ms. Kane had really had kids at one point. He had suspected it for a while, but he figured that she could tell him when she was ready. He had to go back. He knew it. She really was a kind woman and Robin had a feeling that things would get better. He hoped. He hoped they would. Bruce wouldn't have. But at this point, hoping, hoping was all that Robin thought he could do. He sat up and stood, getting on top of the gargoyle's head. Falling, Robin felt the wind hit his face.

Yeah, this was all real.

It was all so real.

As Robin shot out a zip line and landed on his bike, he found himself hoping he actually could do this, could survive all of this.

-T-

**A/N:** Well, there we go! Please Review! Man, you know, if I was anyone else, I might make this poor kid stop grieving, but I find it much more fun to do it this way. Gosh, I hope I didn't sound too cruel right there. In any case though, there's more on the way. BTW, I do want to mention. This summer, I'm considering also writing sequels to my stories: "Flying" and "Sincerely Adeline". No matter what though, I'll still continue Custody and try to update at a steady rate. Just putting it out there. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Later!

Rena


	20. Chapter 20: Insanity

**Disclaimer:** Yeah right, like I own Teen Titans or the DCU or DC Comics in general. I mean, please, you've got to be kidding me if you think that I do. I'm just a fan that aimlessly writes fan fics. Nothing more, nothing less.

**Author's Note:** Staples! -silence- well, I thought I'd start this author's note a little differently. Anyone seen 'Get Smart' recently? Anyway, onto this chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews everyone! Do you realize how awesome you are? If not, than realize it now. Anyway, new chapter! Yeah! We all love new chapters, right? Well, I hope you do. I did add in a few comic references again, this time a little more evident than the last chapter's. Btw, there's this amazing kid, Tari Silmarwen, who drew a scene from this story in Chapter 15 and posted it on DeviantArt and I love it. You can go to my homepage for the link. So yeah, here's a shout out to you Tari! Thank you so much! And I hope you all enjoy the chapter too! "Chapter Twenty: Insanity"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty: Insanity**

Over the next week, Dick got into a routine, as did Adeline, the Titans, and the rest of the super hero community. Dick would often get up late to find a note and breakfast on the table, as Ms. Kane left early for work. He would occupy his time with doing research and on occasion chilling out with the remote in hand. Around five, he'd call Ms. Kane and ask what he should do for dinner and by ten, he'd fake going to bed and he'd been running around in Gotham by eleven with the Titans by his side.

Lately, it had been pretty quiet. He and the Titans often spread out over the city to take care of the scum throughout the nights, occasionally teaming up and starting a rouge menace. Even during the day, Dick found himself sneaking out a few times to see what he could do during the day. However, the most he and the other Titans really did was talk to Sawyer about seeing the Joker, who said that most likely by tonight, they could get at least one of the Titans down to talk to him. Robin had then gone home early after that, ready to get a few more hours of sleep. He knew he had been stressed and so sleep was calling him. When he woke up and looked out the window, he was surprised that he had actually been able to get up so early.

He didn't complain though, and hopped out of bed and went down the stairs to the kitchen, but the smell made him raise a brow. Running down, Dick looked at the stove, on which eggs and sausage were cooking. The thing missing? The person cooking them. That's when he heard something coming from around the corner. A 'huht' sort of sound, that kept repeating and came from an open door.

Slowly, Dick opened the door, to find it leading to a basement below and a glow from light coming from below as well. Dick walked down the steps and as soon as he turned the corner, he saw probably the most unexpected thing that he had seen all week. In the basement was a large collection of equipment for working out and at the moment, Ms. Kane was using one of the machines to work her... very well toned muscles.

As Dick's jaw dropped, Adeline stopped her workout to look over at him, "Oh, morning, Dick? Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

When he didn't respond and his look of shock didn't vanish, Adeline added, "You okay, Dick?"

It took a moment for him to put his thoughts into words, but he finally managed to with, "You're, you're a body builder?"

Adeline laughed, "Hardly, but I do work out in the morning. I get up early to do so and wake myself up. This stuff's mostly just left over from when I was younger."

Dick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Did all of Bruce's family have unusual basements? Well, at least it wasn't a Batcave. Nothing could surprise him over that though, but this was still pretty shocking. Almost annoying, too. He could bet that if he had just known about this, Ms. Kane would have let him use this stuff during the day. As Ms. Kane went back to her work out, Dick looked around the walls, on which were framed awards. As he looked closer, he noticed that many of them were government issued. As Ms. Kane got up and grabbed a towel, Dick glanced over at her.

"You were in the Army?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah, long time ago," Adeline told him, "My father was a soldier and I just inherited that part of him."

"How long did you stay?" Dick asked and pointed to one medal, "It says here you were a captain."

Adeline looked over at the medal and sighed, "Yeah, I was. I trained special agent troops in the Army. I guess I must have stayed for a good number of years, not sure how many though."

"Oh," Dick said, "That where you got the, uh, exercise routine from then?"

Ms. Kane walked over to the stairs with a nod, "Yeah, I suppose so. I was always pretty athletic though. Come on, I don't want breakfast to burn."

Dick followed Ms. Kane back up to the kitchen area where she began to serve up both of them the eggs and sausage. Dick sat down at the island as Adeline handed him a dish and they began to eat. Dick watched Ms. Kane at out of the corner of his eye as they ate their breakfast. Perhaps that was the first real wake up call for him. He still knew hardly anything about her. They just didn't get the chance to talk much, but he probably should be making an effort.

"Ms. Kane?" He asked.

"Yes, Dick?" She answered.

"Um, I, what... I really, I really don't know that much about you," Dick told her.

Adeline chewed her food thoughtfully and replied, "That's my fault, Dick. I'm not always very open about myself."

There was a pause when Dick asked, "Why?"

Adeline mulled it over in her head, "I guess... Some things are just painful, that's all."

"What wasn't?" Dick asked.

Adeline laughed, "I suppose there were good times."

Dick paused and then asked, "Your sons? What were they like?"

Adeline looked at him a bit surprised, "Oh, well, different as night and day. My oldest was really strong headed. My younger son was a real sweetheart. I don't know..."

Dick watched as Ms. Kane went into almost a trance. Her eyes were glassy and seemed to lock up memories, both good and bad. A small smile tugged at her face, but wasn't strong enough to appear fully. Dick took a couple bites of food, thinking. Finally Adeline stood up with a sigh and put her dish in the dishwasher.

"I've got some work to do while I'm home today, okay Dick?" She asked.

"Sure," He answered, "Think I could use the equipment downstairs?"

"Of course," She told him, "Go for it."

Dick smiled lightly as the two parted. He hadn't expected much from that, but he could tell that she certainly had a whole different side to her. He looked over at the door towards the basement and shrugged. He had to admit, as odd as the basements were, he really could never complain.

Adeline heard Dick running downstairs within minutes of sitting down at her desk. Wayne Industries was becoming a frenzy. It was absolutely ridiculous in many ways. She sat back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair and down her face. Of all things too, it had to be a vigilante. A vigilante. The one thing she probably hated more than anything else in the world. Grabbing a key from under her chair, Adeline took it and unlocked one of her filing cabinets. But she wouldn't pull it all the way out. She couldn't.

Adeline shut her eyes and took out the key. How many times had she learned this. The likelihood that it was him... There were plenty of others. It was just her own paranoia. That's what it had been before. When was the last time that they had actually crossed paths. Probably right before... She shook her head and bit her lip. Dick didn't know how much his presence brought back memories. He didn't know how much she enjoyed his voice because it was just there and it was kind. She couldn't just throw away his safety on a paranoia. Adeline began to work.

On a shelf inside her office, one picture sat upon it. Two boys smiled with her in the photo. One with curly blond and one with blond silk for hair. Those boys, she'd never see them again. They were lost because their innocence was lost before they could really be kids. Dick deserved more than that. Vigilantes wouldn't ruin that. She would make sure of it.

-T-

The Titans had never seen Robin so awake in their entire lives. No, scratch that, they had never seen him so aware of every detail in their entire lives. It wasn't even gradual. It was just that night. It was like he hadn't been sitting around all day. Which, of course, he hadn't. After finding out about Ms. Kane's stash of equipment, Dick had spent all day downstairs, working his muscles. Maybe that was a good thing, considering he wouldn't have as much of a chance tonight. As they zoomed through Gotham, Cyborg and Beast Boy took note of Robin's... knack for almost showing off.

As they headed farther into the city, Cyborg began to notice a change in direction, "Yo, B, you recognize this area at all?"

"Don't look at me, dude," Beast Boy said, weirded out by the surrounding setting, "Least Robin seems to know where he's going."

"At least that's one thing we can be sure about," Cyborg said.

"The guy's turning into an animal," Beast Boy commented, not in a positive tone either.

Cyborg kept up the speed while the girls flew between the two vehicles. Starfire's gaze drifted from building to building as they passed through the streets of Gotham. She began to notice that things seemed to be getting less friendlier as they went.

"Raven, where exactly are we?" Starfire asked.

Raven looked at her from under her hood, "No where I really want to be, Starfire."

Starfire's worried look turned to almost panic as she looked ahead at Robin, "You, uh, you do not want to be here?"

Raven blew a random strand of hair out of her face, "Well, do you?"

"Um, well, no," Starfire answered, "It seems as though to get the worse as we... Ekkk!"

Starfire stopped in front of a large gate, that seemed to spring up from the ground. It was a strong, formidal structure, with vines wrapping themselves around it. Starfire instantly flew back towards Raven and the others. Beyond the gate was a large building, with bars on every window, from which lights flickered and shadows mocked the sane. The most disturbing thing perhaps, though, was that Robin was walking towards the gate where the sign read 'Arkham Asylum'.

"Come on," He said, not looking back at his team members, who at this point were wondering if Robin was about to check himself in.

They followed hesitantly past the walled-up borders and after their leader. It was pretty quiet, actually. That is until someone cackled from inside, making all four of the other Titans tense or squeal in fright. Robin however, didn't seem to notice. In fact, he didn't. He was very used to this by now. He found Detective Sawyer at the front as she said she would be while the four Titans hung in the background listening.

"Thanks for letting us in here, Detective," Robin told her.

"Not a problem," Sawyer said professionally, "You think that you can actually get Joker to talk, though?"

"I'll have to," Robin said.

Sawyer raised a brow as she looked behind him at the rest of the Titans, "Robin, can I talk to you for a moment... alone?"

He looked back at his teammates and nodded, walking off with the Officer to a corner, "What is it, Detective?"

"I was assuming that it would be just you and the Batman," She said, "I was able to wrangle two visitation passes, not five."

Robin kept a stone-face, but Sawyer could tell that he hadn't thought of that for some reason, "Robin... Where _is_ Batman? Even the Commissioner has noticed..."

"He's working on another lead, an international one, Ras Al Ghul and what not," Robin explained quickly, "The Titans and I are working on local leads."

"Oh..." Sawyer left, "I, sorry, Gordon was just a little... concerned. The night that Wayne died, he was just really... yeah, sorry, alright, that explains it. Well, in any case, I still can't get all of you rights for a visit tonight. Why don't you decide amongst yourselves then."

"Sounds fine with me," Robin said, turning around and walking back to his team.

"Well?" Beast Boy asked when they saw Robin coming over to them.

"Me and someone else," Robin stated, "That's the final line."

The four Titans looked from side to side at one another, but Cyborg was the first to speak, "I nominate Raven."

"I motion the second," Starfire said.

"Wait, what?" Raven asked.

"I don't think that's such a bad idea, to be honest," Robin informed her.

"But why me?" Raven questioned.

"Well, you, uh, got the best people skills," Beast Boy said.

Raven looked at him like he was crazy when Starfire interrupted, "I think what friend Beast Boy means to say, is that you have quite the way with making the doers of evil talk."

"No," Raven said flat out.

"Come on, Rae, why not?" Cyborg asked.

Raven looked down at the floor, away from the others, "I don't like it here."

"Why?" Beast Boy asked, "Like, we all hate it, but it's not going to get worse, right?"

"This place houses the criminally insane, Beast Boy," Raven answered, "I will not go down there."

Beast Boy was taken back by this, but then softened his position, "Alright, well, I guess I can see that..."

Cyborg however was not going down so easily, "Raven, come on, we've got to get Joker to talk. Who else has experience with this sort of thing?"

"What about any of you?" Raven shot.

Cyborg continued, "Rae, we're all a bit creeped out by this guy, but seriously, what can we do with him that you can't do better?"

Raven looked from each of her teammates to Robin. She felt, rather than saw why she was being nominated over others. Starfire didn't want, or maybe felt she couldn't stand seeing Robin's possible actions while down there. Beast Boy wasn't exactly... going to be much help, considering his expertise was better spent in the field, not in the mental hospital. Robin shook his head.

"Look, Raven, no one has to go with me. And I'm sure the they'll at least let you guys stay out in the halls so that you can be close by," Robin assured her and then added, "Guys, none of you have to come, either."

"It is not that Robin, we will come," Starfire started.

"Look, why don't I go in then," Cyborg offered, "I mean, as long as the others are right outside..."

Robin nodded and called over to Sawyer, "Cyborg and I will go in, but can the others be within the vicinity?"

She nodded, got them the passes, and then led them down the long hallways. They all sort of wished at that point that they had stayed behind. The walls were made of stone and smelled of mold, while the lights inside flickered and some of the inhabitants spat at the five teens as they passed by. Each of them kept an eye on their heels, as though they had just stepped into a minefield. Then, a loud crazed cackle echoed down the hallway, causing three of the Titans to tense in fear. The other two just dealt with it. One better than the other. As they passed by several doors, Raven kept away from the doorways, as though they were poison. Soon, up ahead, the six people spotted Harvey Bullock. Raven stopped as another laugh rang out from the door way ahead.

"Friend Raven?" Starfire asked, "Are you okay?"

Raven put a hand to her head, "I'm fine."

"That's good, you'll have to stand out here for however long we get stuck there," Bullock told her as Raven's eyes widened, "Who's going in?'"

"I am," Robin told him.

"Well, duh," Bullock pointed out, "I meant which one of your teammates are going in with ya."

"That would be me," Cyborg stepped forward.

"'Kay, be careful in there," Bullock said, going for the door.

"He's got a straight jacket on, but keep an eye on him, alright?" Sawyer warned.

Cyborg raised a brow, but once he was inside, he saw what she was talking about. On the floor, a barefoot man sat in the shadows. But he could still see the eyes and the smile, that stretched up way past what would be considered normal into his cheek bones.

"Oh! I have guests! Do I?" The man laughed, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Robin stepped forward with Cyborg behind him, "It's time to talk."

"'Bout what should we talk about? Hehe," Joker laughed, "By the way, maybe you should think about a diet, Tin man."

As Joker laughed, Cyborg looked down. It's not like he could even gain or lose weight, so why was that so funny? As Robin began to ask the Joker questions, Cyborg soon learnedthat nothing the Joker said made any sense. Outside, the other three Titans and the two cops waited. Starfire kept a close watch on the door. It made her heart race to think of what was going on inside. Sawyer and Bullock sat back, as though used to the uncomfortable creaking that ran through out the building. Beast Boy kept his eyes on everyone around him and any form of life that happened to pass by. Believe it or not, a couple mice ran by as though it were natural. He was sure that it was.

One ran past his feet towards Raven. She shuffled her feet away from the creature and kept her hood and cloak surrounding her tightly. He raised a brow at her. Raven felt herself becoming weaker the longer she stayed. She really hated it here. She hated Gotham. All of the woes and pains. She felt it all and she was compelled to keep it within her, rather than let others suffer. And in here... It was much worse. Now there wasn't just pain. There was sick joy. Like that of her father's. And she couldn't stop it, because the people here, the people here were insane and she couldn't cure that.

**_"MWHaHAAhaHaHAAHAhaAHaHaAHaHAAha!!"_**

Raven clutched her head at hearing the Joker's laugh and fell to her knees. "Raven!" Beast Boy rushed over to her as Starfire turned to look inside. Cyborg blocked her view. Raven held her hand up to Beast Boy, telling him to stop. The other two cops looked at her as she struggled to get up.

"Where's the exit?" She asked, keeping a hand on her head, afraid that two extra eyes might pop up any time if she didn't leave soon.

Bullock got up and went over to her, "Come on, I'll show you."

"I'll come with you," Beast Boy offered.

"_No!"_ She ordered and then, after seeing his startled face, added on a lighter, kinder note, "You're needed here."

"You will be alright, friend Raven?" Starfire asked.

Raven paused for a moment and then answered, "I will."

As Bullock led the hooded girl down the hallway, he kept an eye on her. He hated to admit it, but he really didn't know much about her, or any of the Titans save for Robin. But she looked... stressed, like something was out of her control, to such an extreme for her.

"You really going to be okay?" Harvey asked as they reached the main hall.

"I... will be," Raven told him, "I... I am particularly prone to the emotions and moods of other people, even places. Arkham is... no, Gotham... This place is..."

Raven paused trying to gather her thoughts, "It's consumed with an evil far beyond that of other places... I hate being here. It reminds me too much of a demon's house."

Bullock nodded with a small smirk, "Guess that's why we've got bat's here. He can put up with it."

Raven winced, "Yeah, I guess so."

Deep within Arkham, nothing was really getting any better. Robin was starting to get annoyed. Joker was, by now, rolling over on the floor laughing. They hadn't gotten any useful information out of him as it was and the comments about how crazy teens were these days were starting to lose their humorous element. Then again, they hadn't been funny to begin with.

"What'sa matter Birdy Boy?" Joker asked, "You didn't actually think that I'd take the little boy in tights seriously now, did ya?"

Cyborg saw Robin's face turn into a scowl. Robin yelled and grabbed Joker by the straps of the straight jacket while Cyborg stepped back.

"Since when do you ever take anyone seriously, Joker?" Robin asked.

"Since I checked in to get cured, doc!" Joker answered, laughing like a maniac.

Then Cyborg heard Robin do something that actually worried him. A sound started softly and then became a rich chuckle, escaping from Robin's throat.

"That's, heh, a good one Joker," Robin told him.

"Isn't it?" Joker laughed.

Robin had decided to changed tactics, "It is. Here's another funny one, though, heh, I think you might have heard the punch line, heheh. Who hired you?"

Joker smiled, "Oh, guy I met at a party, big guy, that's who."

"Really?" Robin said, "So you have heard it. How about this one, Who is Ravager?"

"That's easy, a hired water gun," Joker laughed.

Robin continued, "By who? Who hired him?"

That's when the progress ended, "That's a horrible joke."

"Joker, come on!" Robin yelled, roughly.

"Acting like him doesn't make you him, Bat-boy," Joker told him, "You're still just a kid."

"Who hired him, Joker?!" Robin yelled again.

Joker kicked out at Robin, but he dodged easily. Cyborg stepped forward as Robin threw Joker to the ground.

Joker shook his head, "You think throwing me's gonna get me to talk, brat?"

Robin looked down at him, "No, but you've done enough."

Cyborg watched as Robin went to the door and called out to Sawyer, who opened the door for Cyborg and Robin. But only Cyborg made it out before Robin shut the door again.

"What?" Cyborg turned before seeing the door slam.

He was going to ask Robin what all of that had been about, but now he was more worried about Robin being in there alone. Inside the cell, Robin stood once again in the shadows, his eyes narrowed and his cape over his shoulders. Blending with the shadows, Joker watched as his guest change his disposition. In an instant, Robin grabbed the Joker by the throat with one hand and held him against the wall.

"One last joke. _Where's Ravager?"_ Robin questioned.

Joker gasped for air and then answered bitterly, "Probably where all the hired guns go, kid."

"Where?"

Joker only smiled at him and began to choke as he laughed. Robin let him go and went for the door again as Joker stood up. He was right about to open the door when he heard Joker whisper to him over his shoulder.

"You want to hear a real joke, kid? Do ya? I'm going to kill ya one day. I'm gonna kill you. I'm going to beat you with a crow bar. And I'm gonna beat ya again. And then, heh, and then, I'm going to blow you up, kid. Heh, right in front of your mommy. Just to make sure you're really dead. How's that sound kid? How's that for a joke?" Joker told him, repressing laughter.

Robin looked over at him and rolled his eyes, "Please, Joker, like you could really do that."

"Oh, yeah, kid? Oh yeah? I'm gonna kill you all. You and every single one of your team..."

Robin left the room and shut the Ace of Knaves inside the cell once again. As he emerged, the others noticed his change in posture, as though the whole questioning had taken it all out of him. All of that previous energy. Gone. And his mind swirling with new information. And new threats.

Starfire walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Robin?"

He was quiet for a moment before he answered, "Let's go."

Sawyer was about to say something, but before she could, Robin walked off. He knew the way out. Getting out to the R-Cycle, Robin hopped on before half of the Titans knew where he was going. Cyborg and Raven decided to ride in the car while Beast Boy and Starfire followed from behind. It was unnaturally silent right now. Save for the splashes of puddles, the Titans seemed to glide through the streets aimlessly. But Robin knew where he was going. He almost wished that he could lose them so that the others didn't.

He almost succeeded. He had sped ahead and was able to park the R-Cycle as he jumped to the rooftops. Robin knew that they would catch up, find him by his locater signal. He hardly ever turned it off intentionally these days anyway. Finally, he found what he was searching for. Brief solace. The Boy Wonder's masked eyes glided slowly over the city's landscape. There were so many places that Ravager could be hiding. And wherever he wasn't, someone else was. People like the Riddler, Penguin, and Killer Croc. Robin shook his head.

He couldn't keep them here. It was unfair to them. It wasn't their responsibility. Gotham was... Robin felt himself tense almost unwillingly. It was his to protect now, wasn't it? It was. It was... He had enough for now. Gotham wasn't doing terribly. At least, not at the moment. And if it ever got bad, then he could call in others. But to keep them here, to keep his friends here, it wasn't right. It just put them in all the more danger and he couldn't risk that.

Robin heard them flying and jumping up to the top of the building. He had to tell them now. They'd have no chance at winning the argument.

"Dude," Beast Boy panted, "What... what was that for...?"

Robin didn't answer them and only glanced at them from the corner of his eye, "Sorry, I had to think for a moment."

"About what, man?" Cyborg asked.

Robin sighed, but kept his eyes ahead and away from them, "About keeping you here."

"What?" Starfire questioned.

Why did she have to ask that? Why her?

"You've been away from Jump for a month," Robin told them, "You're needed back there."

"What about you, dude?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin kept quiet again, but eventually answered as the wind hit them, "I'm staying here."

"But... why?" Starfire asked, panicked.

"Yeah, man," Cyborg added.

"Come on, guys, think about it. I'm living with Ms. Kane. I know that... I know that Batman could have probably given up being... his other self. But I can't. I'm just a minor and I can't do anything about it. Besides, Gotham needs someone," Robin explained.

"So get Superman," Beast Boy suggested.

Cyborg continued, "Yeah, or one of the other guys from the Justice League. They could all take turns or what not. 'Sides, after seeing you in there with Joker, you... It's just not a good idea, man."

"Robin, I must agree with the two morons," Raven told him, "It's not right that you should have to stay alone here."

"I'll be fine," Robin countered.

"No," Starfire said suddenly, "You will not."

Robin turned to her as she continued, "You have not been okay since you have arrived here. You have been the depressed and... you have not been yourself."

Robin didn't say anything as Raven added, "Robin, this place is dangerous. I can feel it. It's like... it's like the evil is rooted into the ground."

Robin shot back, "You forget, I've been trained to live in this place. I know how to live here, to protect myself and others."

"So what?" Beast Boy asked, "It doesn't matter what you've been trained to do, man. It's about what the risks are."

"Exactly," Robin said, "Which is why I want you all to go home."

"We're not leavin', man," Cyborg said.

"No way," Beast Boy added.

"I third that decision," Raven added.

Robin was starting to get frustrated, "You'll go. You don't need to be here and thus, I'm pulling the Titans out. Jump needs you more than Gotham does."

"But you need us more than Jump does, Robin," Raven said.

Somehow, that was just the wrong thing to say. Robin finally turned to them all, furious. He wanted them gone. Every second, every moment, it was too much.

Robin said, "I'm not defenseless, Raven. And I want you all to go."

"Robin..." Starfire started.

"Leave!" He yelled, "Go!"

The four Titans stepped back. They watched him. They watched their leader stand, rooted firmly into his strong stance, unyielding to any argument. Robin was right, they couldn't win. Slowly, the Titans began to back down.

"Fine man," Cyborg said.

"Don't get killed," Raven added.

Beast Boy followed sadly behind them as Robin turned to look back at the city. He didn't realize that there was still someone behind him. That is, until the wind blew. And he heard her walk over.

"Robin..." Starfire started, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He turned at her touch, holding her fingers in his hand, "I'm sorry, Star. But this is for your own good."

"But..."

Robin shook his head at her. Starfire looked at the ground and then up at him. What she did next was instinctive. Star immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him gently. Robin was surprised at first, but then melted. He found himself slowly bring an arm around her back pulling her closer to him. Starfire felt small tears welling up in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. This just worried her so much.

"You would promise me..." She whispered.

"Promise what?" He whispered back.

Starfire pulled back and pushed a stray hair strand back and answered, "You will call us; if you need anything? If we can help?"

Robin's stone look softened slightly, "Of course, I will. There's no one else I'd call first."

Starfire nodded and then turned to go. Before she could walk far, she heard him call her.

"Stay safe, Star."

She turned to look back at him, "I will, Robin. You, please, do the same."

Robin nodded as he watched the last Titan leave him that night. Slade watched as well. Perfect. Just perfect. Robin sighed as he turned back to the city's landscape. He heard the clock tower sound. It was still early and he knew that he should still be working. Jumping over the roof and down to another while he ran across that one. He began to become a blur. He was able to stop a couple crooks here and there and he quickly put Firefly back on the ground for the cops to collect. The night though... it was much quieter than it had been in a while. Robin wondered if this was what it was like for Bruce before Bruce took him in. The dead silence of it all.

Eventually, around three or so, Robin decided to call the R-Cycle and get back to Ms. Kane's. He could feel his arms again as he climbed through the window to his room and his feet began to burn and tingle. His chest hurt as he fell onto his bed and attempted to pull up the covers. But even then, he couldn't focus on his own exhaustion. Instead, his mind kept racing with thoughts about Gotham, Ravager, and his friends. He didn't know when he fell asleep, but at some point, he did.

He got up from his bed and walked to the doorway, to find himself back inside Bruce's office. Someone was by the desk. Slowly, Dick walked over, careful not to make a sound. They looked so familiar. And yet, somehow, Dick didn't trust his own judgment.

"Bruce..." He asked, before reaching out a hand to tap the figure on their shoulder.

"Not a chance, kid!" Ravager spun around and grabbed him by the wrist.

Like that, Dick felt himself being thrown against the wall and onto the ground. Dick groaned and shook his head, but when he opened his eyes, he saw himself in an all too familiar situation. He was on a small square board, raised high above the ground and in front of him were two wires, the top wires from which the bars swung. And right in the middle of them, was Bruce, looking at him, like it was nothing. Dick shook his head.

"Bruce... No... Get back, get off of it!" He called.

But right as he said it, he saw flames lick at the wires. Dick looked away from the hot and intense light. But then he heard the crack and the gun shots. Dick looked behind him and saw that he was on the floor and the wet liquid that he felt reaching his fingers was blood. Dick shut his eyes and bit his lip.

"Bruce..." Dick whispered, but as he turned to see what he could only imagine was Bruce, he gasped.

It wasn't Bruce.

His four friends lay crumpled on the floor, a different murderer above each one of them. Anthony Zucco above Beast Boy. The man that had killed his parents. Two Face above Cyborg. The first to wake him up to the dangerous reality. Ravager above Raven. Someone that could kill without a second thought. And finally, Joker above Starfire. A maniac plague. That's when he heard slow clapping. Looking above his head, Robin saw Slade standing above him.

Slade chuckled, "How can you save a city, Robin, when you can't save yourself?"

Robin looked from him to the other four villains who came forward, each with their weapon of choice. Robin got up and ran. He felt his face stinging with tears. Finally, he found a ditch and fell into it to hide. Dick tried to catch his breath when he noticed something. The ground he was sitting on was too... smooth to be natural. Dick looked down and saw that he was sitting atop a coffin lid. He looked upwards and saw on the tomb stone, a figure. The stone read: RIP: Bruce Wayne, but Batman stood above it. Dick held a hand up, as though afraid of the ghost's uniform.

"Bat... Batman...?" Dick asked.

Then he heard laughter again. This time, from all of them. They came closer. And closer. And just as he saw their faces, the uniform lost i's shape and began to glide, fall over him. The darkness... it was too much.

And he screamed.

Bolting upright, Adeline heard yelling coming from down the hall. She instantly got up and ran into Dick's bedroom, where she found a frantic and panicking Dick yelling. He thrashed in his bed, caught in his sheets, and sweating like mad. She sat down and shook his arms hard as he continued to yell.

**_"Stop! Please!"_**

"Dick!" She yelled.

_**"Bruce! Don't!"**_

"Dick!" She yelled again.

_**"No! Please!"**_

_"Dick!"_

It was with a final yell from both of them that Dick bolted up and awake. Adeline looked at Dick, who was in no way out of the nightmare. His shoulders kept shaking and he barely could sit up. A cold sweat covered his skin and as Adeline watched him, she noticed something else. He was near tears.

"Dick..." She started, but somehow, she knew what he really needed.

Leaning forward, Adeline puled Dick into a hug. Just like she had for... for Grant and Joey. For a moment, Dick didn't realize what was happening, the images in his head repeatedly haunting him. But when he finally looked around, Dick came back to his senses. The surprise above all though, was that Ms. Kane was in the room and hugging him. He... he hadn't been hugged like this since before his parents... His mom... As Dick widened his eyes, he felt how moist they were and looked up to keep any tears from the nightmare or the memories from leaking out.

"You okay?" She asked.

Dick nodded, "Sorry... I... It was about..."

When he didn't finish, Adeline nodded. She knew who it was about or at least, one person who it was about, Bruce. She released her arms around him and sat up, looking at him just to make sure he was alright. Dick shook his head and looked up at her with a small smile.

"I... uh, thanks, Ms. Kane," He said after a moment.

Adeline smiled at him gently and answered, "You're welcome, Dick. You want to talk or..."

Dick looked down at that and Adeline got it, but knew that there was more that she should be doing. Standing up, Adeline went to the door, but paused for a moment where she felt her gut telling her to say something. Anything.

"Dick..." She said, turning around, "I... You're safe here, you know that, right? I won't let anything happen to you."

Dick looked up at her and with a smile, nodded slowly, "Yeah, I... I do."

"Good," She said, "Because if you doubted me, I would have had to show you the last guy I fought with. Not a pleasant sight. 'Night, Dick."

Dick managed a small laugh at that as Ms. Kane left the room. Instead of going back to her room, Adeline went downstairs to her office. She walked over to the photo and picked it up, looking at the two boys in it. She missed their smiles a lot. At least she knew one of them should be okay. At least. It shouldn't be 'at least'. But it was. Adeline glanced up to where Dick should be in his room. That kid. She could tell he was something else.

Meanwhile, falling back onto his pillow, Dick tried to shut his eyes, hoping sleep would come soon, good sleep, that is. He was so tired and he couldn't take more of it. But Dick knew he was up for more of this. He could only imagine that to be the case -- He never quite understood how Bruce had handled Gotham alone. Well, he was probably about to find out. Probably. Most likely. He would have groaned, but he was too tired to and soon fell slowly into a peaceful slumber as the moon began to set. The night, gone.

-T-

**A/N:** So do you see why I named this chapter insanity? Lol. So who got the Joker's reference? I was reading an older issue of the Robin comics and it was about the Joker's view of the Robins. So yeah, that's where that idea came from, that and 'A Death in the Family'. I know that Joker doesn't kill this Robin like that, but it still works here, you know? Anyways, did you like the chapter? Please review! I hope that you liked it. It was a little slow, I know, but the next chapter's going to be really upbeat, so yeah. Hope you liked it! Later!

Rena


	21. Chapter 21: Done With Waiting

**Disclaimer:** There's a lot of ways I could say this so I'll say it this way: I do not own Teen Titans or the DCU. But if I don't get them then, well, I really, really want a rabbit...

**Author's Note:** Oh! You're all so amazingly wonderful, did you know that? Well, you all are. Thank you for all of your reviews! They all made me smile, like no joke, miserable week for me and seeing those, well, it just made me happy. But man, this chapter, you're all probably going to be really happy with me after this. Because guess what! Slade actually does something! Yeah! Well, anyways, I really hope you like this chapter because I don't really know what to say anymore in terms of stalling and keeping you from reading this, jk, jk. ;-D But anyway, yeah, here you go: "Chapter Twenty-One: Done With Waiting"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Done With Waiting**

Slade looked outside at the dreary weather. It was cold and the skies were overcast, a sure sign that November was coming to a close. After this, he guessed that the sun wouldn't come out much without some clouds. No one was outside -- they preferred their warm homes and the comfort that the streets didn't offer. He smiled. He liked these kind of days.

The phone rang and Slade went over to answer it, "Hello."

"Yo, where's my money?" Ravager yelled over the phone line.

"Your money?" Slade asked as if it was a question.

"Yeah, my money!"

"Half of it will be delivered to My Alibi tonight," Slade told him.

"Half?!" Ravager raged.

"Exactly," Slade told him, "That was a pathetic display."

"But he's dead!" Ravager argued.

Slade sighed -- he was dealing with such a moron. "Yes, Wayne is dead, but I think I specifically told you to leave the boy alone in your instructions."

"What?" Ravager asked, "What's so important about that brat?"

"His limited access to his new fortune. You should know that it's all about the money," Slade lied easily and smoothly, "You're lucky that Superman and that Cat exist at the moment."

"That's cheap," Ravager told him.

"I was willing to pay for a job followed under my terms," Slade told him, "I will pay for half and if you fight for the other half, you will loose."

With that, Slade hung up the phone. Ravager was dealt with and Luthor would get what he wanted too. In all honesty, Luthor was too easy to read. Lex was lucky that Slade had waited for Earle to demote Fox at this point, though. His patience for even dealing with this man was wearing thin. Luckily, after this, he didn't have to worry about pleasing Mr. Luthor. Slade looked outside again. He heard a clash of thunder sound in the distance.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Tonight would be perfect. Walking out of his office, Slade went down the hall to his arsenal. Within moments, he was out of his civilian clothes and into his armed suit, a mask placed firmly on his head. What an interesting night this would be. Picking out certain pieces of equipment, Slade loaded his belt and prepared for the evening ahead.

It almost amazed him, the fact that he was even at this stage. Everything had been so easy. Managing Jump from Gotham had been easier than he had thought possible while dealing with the locals was simple when he gave them... motivation to cooperate. But the best of it had to be that he had killed, or rather could take the credit for killing, Batman, without even lifting a finger. The biggest plus? Robin had sent his team away. He hadn't planned on that, but it certainly made his job easier.

Slade went to the roof of the building. He needed to get out, do something until the evening came. If there had to be one downside to all of this, it was that he had hardly done anything. He wanted a good fight. And tonight he would get one.

He was sure of it.

-T-

The smoke in the room was really heavy. It made him grateful that his mask had a filter. He sat in a shady section of the bar, watching men play pool and listening to hushed conversations. The best part of this job was that nearly every bit of this was on Robin and the Boy Wonder hadn't bothered him since, save to give him cash for food for the week discretely.

The door creaked open and Red X darted his eyes over to the newcomer. A man, hunched over in a trench coat made his way to the bar. He wouldn't have been any interest to X, save for the light red color that he could barely see past the coat. Red X smiled under the mask. Well, this could be something worth while. As the man waited for his drink, X came over to the bar as well.

"Haven't seen you around here," he commented to the man.

"I don't come here often," the man told him.

Red X raised a brow and kept a mental list of details. Brown hair, brown eyes, muscular -- looked like he was trying to grow some sort of goatee.

"Why tonight then?" Red X asked, leaning back as though it was nothing.

The man glanced at Red X wondering how old this guy was. If it wasn't for the mask, he doubted that the guy would have even gotten in here.

"Business," the man finally said.

"What, you a hit man?" Red X laughed, "Getting your money."

The man grunted, as though irritated, while X continued, "Well, a man's gotta eat, I suppose. Me? I'm more prone to the thief end of the spectrum, but I guess it's preference. So who was your latest target?"

The man looked from side to side before looking at X, "If I wasn't already gypped, I might care. Got that playboy, Wayne."

Red X's eyes widened as he tried to keep his cool while the man, who he now knew was The Ravager, continued, "Got hired by some higher up who was trying to outdo someone else."

"Wait, wait, wait," Red X said, loving this type of story, "You mean to tell me you were getting paid off to do that and that two people wanted that guy dead?"

"From the sounds of what I heard," Ravager told him, "My guess is that it had to do with the company or possibly Wayne's money."

Red X chuckled, "Man, that's rich."

Someone set up a pool table in the room while Ravager nodded. The conversation went cold for a moment, something Red X didn't want, but couldn't exactly help. He had to say something -- it just wouldn't be good if he got up and left. Ravager would follow him.

"So had any trouble with the Bat or the Titans?" Red X asked him, "With something like that, you must be good to cover your tracks."

"Haven't had a run in with either of them," Ravager stated, "I think it's been more of a luck factor than anything else."

"But you killed that other guy recently, right, the guy at the Enterprises?" Red X prodded, "And others probably, don't tell me that was all luck. I'd have to steal whatever luck you have if it was."

"I didn't kill nobody but Wayne," Ravager said.

"You mean, those others, they were someone else?" Red X asked, surprised.

"It'd have to be," Ravager explained, but he was becoming all the more irritated by Red X by the moment, "Who are you, anyways?"

"I blew into town from the west," Red X said, "Figured it would be easier to make a living here."

"Mr. Defarge?" the bartender asked the man, "Your delivery has arrived."

"Thanks," Ravager held out a hand for the package while the bartender slipped a hundred into his pocket.

"You might be right 'bout theft, kid," Ravager started, but when he turned, X was gone.

On the roof, Red X looked around when he saw a figure running off in the opposite direction. Setting off after it, Red X found it increasingly hard to keep up with it. It was quick and fast, but then again, so was he. He decided to use the cloaking technology and continue tailing them. But the person kept running and after a good half hour, Red X finally stopped after loosing it. His legs hurt and his heart was beating fast in his rib cage to the point where it hurt. Who was this guy? Turning around, X arrived back at My Alibi an hour later, taking his time and regaining his stance. As the bartender went out with the trash, he found himself pinned against the wall by the skull masked vigilante.

"Who gave you that package?" Red X questioned.

"I... I don't rat out anybody," The bartender said.

Red X's eyes narrowed, but he laughed, "Do I look like a good guy, man?"

"The Bat's one," the bartender choked, "Anyone could be one."

"I want work," X said, "Who were they?"

The bartender eyed Red X questioningly, but he finally answered, "Don't know. They kept to the shadows."

"Was it a man or a woman?" Red X asked.

"Man," the bar tender answered.

Red X watched the bartender wriggle to get free, but it wasn't until Red X turned and let him go did the bartender race back into My Alibi to lock the door. If he had thought that the man would have been any more useful, then maybe he would have kept him out there longer, but he didn't. X felt the breeze blow his tattered cape past his sides while slowly, a smile came to his face. The Boy Wonder would certainly be interested in this. That was for sure. Red X looked around the deserted street. That's when the one problem hit him.

There was no way for him to contact Robin to tell him. X shrugged as he climbed a fire escape. With a price, he'd tell the Boy Wonder the next time he saw him. The price because without this element of direct communication, Red X would have to remember all of this. And he hated doing chores, unless they were fun of course. What really baffled him was the mysterious delivery man and the fact that there were two killers. He had never been up for killing people. Theft, sure, it didn't hurt anyone unless they got in the way. But killing people... Red X shook his head, smirking, because it kept him from shuddering.

It suddenly made sense how Robin had once passed of being the Red X. He saw it all now, didn't he? Red X ran forward towards midtown. No one trusted or relied too heavily on anyone else here. That's the way Gotham was. X had to admit, he liked that, to a certain degree. It was how he lived. It was the rogues in that category that bothered him. The ones, like these killers, who also set out to upset the natural order of things. He liked order. Order was easy to follow. It was easy to understand.

It was anything but Gotham.

-T-

The screen flashed 'Game Over'. Neither Cyborg nor Beast Boy got up for a victory dance or a round of sobbing. Both just sat in front of the controllers and the TV screen, looking dully at the screen. After getting home a couple days ago, thanks to the Boy Wonder's orders, the four remaining Titans had had the time of their lives, cleaning up the Tower as Red X had hardly bothered to clean up after himself. He did, however, find the ability to eat them out of house and home. No one knew how he could eat so much but still be so scrawny.

So, with two days worth of cleaning, eventually the Tower began to resemble home. But it's occupants were far from their normal selves. It was as though Gotham's stench still ran through their clothes and armor. They were all somewhat glad to be home, but their reactions were mingled with the bittersweet taste of failureat Gotham. Raven, though happy to be out of Gotham, wouldn't leave her room save for meals and for emergencies while Starfire just didn't talk to anyone in general. She walked like everyone around her were ghosts and when she fought, she was unnaturally quiet.

As for the boys, well, they were boys. They didn't say anything and just acted like utter downers. Even Beast Boy had quit the jokes while Cyborg abandoned his upgrading process for the T-Ship. At the moment, they had actually gotten up the strength to play a video game. Not very well though... They continued to stare at the screen's glow, until Beast Boy broke the silence.

"Well, that was pointless," he said.

Cyborg rolled his eye, "What was your first clue?"

"No, I mean, this is all pointless," Beast Boy said.

"Hm?"

Beast Boy stood up and walked over to the windows, "I mean, come on, why _are_ we back here?"

Cyborg shrugged, "'Cause Robin told us to leave Gotham."

"But we're not doing ANYTHING here!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "Nothing's really happening. Brother Blood's in jail. The HIVE are joining him. Slade hasn't shown his face in, what, a year? Come on!"

"Naw, I get it, B, I get it," Cyborg said, "But what were we going to do? Tell the guy 'no'?"

"Well, I would have if he wasn't such a wreck," Beast Boy stated firmly, "What?"

Cyborg's brow was raised in question, "Nothing, you just said what we're all thinking, that's all... But, why didn't you anyway?"

Beast Boy shrugged, "I don't know. Guess I knew he couldn't take that... But, after seeing Raven go nearly nuts in Arkham, it just worries you, you know?"

Cyborg was about to fall over at Beast Boy's serious tone, yet somehow he managed to nod as Beast Boy walked over to the kitchen. The younger Titan looked into the empty fridge with a small frown on his face, like he was actually thinking logically and seriously.

"Look, B," Cyborg said, "As long as Robin's with Ms. Kane, I'm sure he will be okay. You know?"

Beast Boy raised a brow, but nodded, "I just don't see how that's going to keep Robin on his feet, Cy."

"Well, he won't be able to go out much and get into too much trouble," Cyborg joked offhandedly. Agh, he hated it when he had to be the one joking about these sorts of matters.

Beast Boy shrugged and opened a soda, "I guess... I just, I feel rotten about it."

"We all do," Raven walked into the room, her hood off and her eyes cast low, "As a team, we followed orders. As friends, we failed to be there for him."

The two looked at the empath for a moment as she walked towards the front.

"So what are we supposed to do about that?" Cyborg asked her.

Raven thought for a moment before answering, "What we can... I don't know. With Gotham, we're not much help. Our best option is to keep up with communication."

The other two nodded when Beast Boy noticed, "Hey, where's Starfire?"

"She's in her room," Raven answered.

"Oh..." Beast Boy responded, "Raven... are you okay?"

Raven turned to look him in the eye, "I... I just have a feeling that all of this... all of this, with Batman's... demise: we need to be ready."

"For what?" Cyborg asked again.

"I don't know!" she yelled back at them both, "We just do, okay?"

The others watched her for a moment before the mistress of magic sighed and looked out at the horizon. There wasn't much to say. They just didn't know what was happening. They didn't know what was going to happen. No one knew and that's why, underneath it all, they were uneasy about the entire situation. And as the sky darkened over Jump City, Gotham's became all the more shrouded in clouds. Most needed to sleep, no, wanted to sleep. That's what most of Gotham's cops had decided to do.

Gordon got up from his desk despite the many papers scattered across it. He needed to take a walk. And he would have, except that the lighted office at the end of the hallway caught his eye. Drifting down to the door, he knocked on it, only for it to open on its own. What was more surprising, though, was the box on Detective Yin's desk.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Oh," Yin said, turning around, "I, sorry, Commissioner, I was just, I thought I'd bring some stuff home with me. It's getting kind of cramped and all."

Commissioner Gordon walked over to the box and looked inside. He pulled out a picture and smiled at it.

"Are you just taking Ethan's stuff out of here, Yin?" he asked.

Yin's eyes cast themselves downwards at the question, but finally she answered, "Maybe. I just can't stand having that stuff in here. I mean, when he was Clayface, sure, I could handle it. He was alive. Or, we thought he was alive. But now he's not."

Gordon nodded, "Believe me Yin, I know what it's like to lose someone on the work force. I've known a lot of people here who lose in that department... You just have to remember that they want you to keep fighting."

"What are we fighting, Commissioner?" she asked, almost out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Commissioner... we don't know what we're fighting! All we know is there's some guy named Ravager involved and we haven't gotten much farther than that," Yin explained, "It's nerve wracking! We can't find someone this way! What has the Bat found? Anything? Nothing? I mean, half the time, I just want to leave. I can't stand it here after Ethan and Jason..."

At the mention of Batman, Gordon looked downward, "Yin, I don't know what he's found. I haven't seen him."

She raised a brow as Gordon explained, "Robin said he was somewhere in Asia tracking a possible lead."

"You've seen the kid?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've seen him around from time to time," Gordon told her. "He's working on his own leads."

Yin smiled, "Ethan used to really like that kid. He told me that there was something bright that he liked, something that he felt was good being by Batman's side."

Gordon nodded, "Yeah, the kid's always been that way..."

Yin detected the note of doubt in her superior's voice almost instantly, "But what?"

"Kid's been alarmingly... I don't know, really down to the point lately. I don't know, it just worries me, Yin," Gordon said, "We've just got to stand by them, that's the one thing I've learned over the years working with him."

Yin nodded slowly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure Ethan would be cheering you on, Yin."

Yin smiled softly as the Commissioner left the room. Getting to the roof, Gordon turned off the hot Bat-signal. No one tonight. Again. It was worth a shot. It always was in his mind. That's when he noticed a note on the switch reading: _'Can't stay and talk, but should have more information soon.' _The wind blew loudly across the rooftops, sending the Commissioner's coat up in a flare. He sighed. It was becoming too quiet up here for his likes. Gordon shook his head and headed in below, hoping that the weather would get better by the time he reached his car. It didn't.

Gotham's weather had a way of doing that. All over the busy streets, people and buildings began to feel the air turn chilly and moist. Robin was running to get home. He hadn't found any leads and tonight, he didn't want to risk the chance that Adeline might find him out of bed after being woken up by thunder. If there was a big emergency... well, he'd get to that if he had to cross that bridge.

He slid off the R-Cycle only a block away this time and all out ran over every fence through three backyards to Ms. Kane's house before jumping up to the roof with a bo-staff. He opened the door just as a small trickle of rain landed on the roof. Quickly, he sat down and began to pull off his suit and replace it with a shirt and shorts. After shoving his stuff into the Toy Box, Dick jumped into bed and tried to calm down. His two communicators were on vibrate and were under his pillow should he need to wake up.

The rain began to pour outside as Dick tried to get to sleep. Eventually, the pattering sound of the rain made his eyes droopy and Dick managed to get to sleep. Perfect, that was all he needed. Slade watched from the tree in the backyard and smiled. He looked over to Adeline's window. Thunder sounded and soon, he saw her waking up. Inside, Adeline yawned with exhaustion, but stretched and rubbed her eyes. Getting up, she walked into the hallway and peeked into Dick's room to find him sound asleep. A small smile crossed her lips as she closed the door behind her and went downstairs.

Slade took his chance. Landing quietly on the roof that lead to Dick's window, Slade carefully lifted the glass window and eased his way into the room. Taking out a thin can, Slade placed it underneath the other bed in the room, in the back corner so it was hidden by the toys that were never picked up and out from under there all those years ago. Pulling a thin wire out, Slade watched as the visible gas began to leak out and into the room. For the first time, Slade turned to see Dick within feet of him for months. The boy slept soundly and in many ways, calmly. He had grown and he hadn't had a hair cut in a while. Slade was tempted to stay longer to see how his... former apprentice, had changed over the course of time, but he knew there would be time for that later.

Leaving the room as he came, Slade closed the window gently and let the knock out gas do it's thing. Well, he couldn't risk Dick coming downstairs and getting in the middle of things. Adeline looked upstairs for a moment. She held a cup of steaming hot chocolate in her hands to warm her up a bit, but she neglected it as she focused upstairs. Landing down below, Slade took the chance to climb into the bathroom window this time -- it was closest to Adeline's office. Adeline placed her mug on the counter and went for the stairs. She was probably just hearing things, but she thought she had heard something from Dick's...

Adeline turned to look down the hallway. There was a creak. She had heard it, in the wood floor underneath the carpet. Adeline slowly made her way towards the corner, her office. Upon reaching it, she quickly turned the corner, but... no one. Adeline shook her head. Was she hearing things? She was being paranoid. Overly paranoid. That's what this was, that's what this...

_**SLAM!**_

Adeline turned. She was definitely not being paranoid. That was something. Adeline held her breath. Someone was in the house besides her and Dick. She knew it. She knew it. If she could lure them into her office, maybe... Adeline gripped the wall and slowly, came out from around the corner again. What she saw took her breath away. In the kitchen, above the two stairs that lead to the living room where she stood, a man, shrouded in shadow leaned against the counter. But she didn't need to see his face to know who it was. Her mouth dropped as she shook her head. The man looked to the side and back at her.

"Is it really that much of a surprise, Addie?" He asked.

At the sound of her old nickname, Adeline regained her ability to talk. "Don't you call me that."

Slade shook his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't see how that was an insult."

Adeline's eyes narrowed at him, "Get out."

"I'm sorry for this too, but I can't leave yet, Adeline," Slade told her.

"Of course you can, get out," she whispered, "Before..."

"Before what?" Slade asked her, stepping down the two steps of stairs.

"Slade..." she started.

"Yes, Adeline?"

Adeline stared at him in the eye for a moment, before he turned and walked into her living room.

"It's a nice place you've got here," he commented.

"What are you doing here, Slade?" she asked again. "What do you want?"

"Why are you always so quick to want me to leave?" He asked back.

She kept her lips together as her hands swelled into fists that she restrained at her sides. Slade noticed this and resisted the urge to chuckle at her old habits.

"Is it really not obvious, Adeline?" He asked, "I've been here for a long time."

Adeline shook her head. She didn't understand, but then, her previous suspicions came back to her mind and her eyes widened.

"No... what... You've been..." she started, taking a step back.

"Since around September," Slade told her.

"Then... why haven't you come here before?" Adeline asked, she was starting to not like this at all, "You've... you've been behind the killings, haven't you? Austin, Ethan, Bard, Beagle... What are you doing, Slade?"

Slade chuckled a bit, "If anyone would look at these people, they'd get it."

"Well they haven't, so what on earth were you trying to do, Slade?" Adeline said, walking up to him.

"Adeline, you're smarter than that," Slade said.

"Don't make me take that other eye out," Adeline hissed.

She knew he was smiling underneath his mask as he walked past her, "How's the kid doing?"

"I wouldn't know how the kids are doing," Adeline said, "I haven't seen them for years because of you, you lowlife."

"I said, kid, Adeline, kid," Slade repeated.

Adeline looked upstairs towards Dick's room and then at Slade, "You... you killed Bruce too?"

"Not exactly, though I can take some credit for that," Slade told her, "Even Lex Luthor can. I have to admit, for everything that man's done, I'll have to thank him for this one."

"So if you killed Bruce, why are you still here?" She asked, angrily, passing him and heading towards her office while he followed.

"I've just been waiting, that's all. For all of the..." he paused as he looked at the frame of the two boys, "Legal investigations and paper work to get done."

Adeline found the drawer she was looking for and slowly opened it up, "Maybe you stayed too long, Slade."

Grabbing the gun in the drawer, Adeline turned around and faced Slade with it, "Dick! Dick! Get Up!"

When she didn't hear anything, she looked at Slade, who not only wasn't worried about the gun, but also wasn't phased by her yelling.

"Adeline, you're the only one whispering here," Slade said to her.

"Oh my... what did you do to him, Slade?" she demanded.

"Harmless knock out gas. He'll be up in the morning," Slade told her.

But she'd had enough, pulling the trigger, Adeline braced herself for the loud gun shot, but it never came. She looked at her gun and then at Slade, who slowly, from his back pocket pulled out two silver bullets that were once in her gun.

"You never change your hiding place for them, Addie," he said.

"Do Not Call Me That!" she screamed at him.

Dropping the gun, she aimed a fist at him, but he caught her arm easily. She struggled to get free as Slade watched her attempts fail.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Adeline asked again, becoming furious at him.

She attempted to hit him again, but it only ended with both of her wrists in his hand, "Why..."

Then her eyes widened in a new question, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Slade finally looked at her with a bit of regret in his eye, "I'm sorry, Adeline, but you're not going to be telling anyone this."

Adeline's eyes opened wide. She didn't hesitate for a moment. Hitting his head with her own, Adeline freed herself and ran towards the stairs.

"Dick! Dick!"

She didn't get very far before she felt Slade grabbing her arms and covering her mouth.

"Don't do this, Adeline," Slade said.

Adeline shoved him backwards, causing him and her to fall onto the floor. Elbowing him, she got herself free and landed a good punch to Slade's face. But her victory didn't last long as Slade found one of her arms again. But Adeline wasn't about to go down that easily. Twisting around, she managed to throw a kick at him, which he dodged, but it allowed her to run towards the staircase.

Slade smirked. She got to the handrail when he shoved her into the kitchen at the end of the island. Adeline steeled herself, looking for an opening. She had to get Dick out of there; she couldn't just leave him alone. At the very least, she had to call the police. She looked up to see the multiple pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. Grabbing a few, she let a few sail towards Slade, but he dodged them easily and when she finally stopped, Adeline had lost sight of him.

She grabbed a pair of knifes from their wooden holders, and carefully took a few steps towards the steps again. Adeline broke out into a run when she saw a leg stretch out and nearly trip her. Jumping up, Adeline landed and threw a knife with precision at Slade, who grabbed the blade before jumping up after her. Grabbing her free arm, Slade yanked Adeline away from the door and stairway, but Adeline didn't care if she got blood on the tiled floor.

The second knife lunged at Slade's chest. However, opening up his retractable bo-staff, Slade managed to knock that one out of Adeline's hand as well. Kicking him in the gut, Adeline raced out of his reach and ran to her cell phone on the table nearby the doorway. Picking up, she began to dial 911. Before it could ring though, Slade got a hold on her again, this time from behind, and forced her to drop it. Adeline wriggled it Slade's grip as he attempted to keep a firm grip on her arms.

Finally someone picked up, "Hello?"

Adeline would have yelled, but at this point, Slade had gotten both of her wrists into his one hand.

"Hello?" That's all Adeline heard before Slade landed his bo-staff on the phone and shattered it.

She was on her own. Still standing, Adeline leaned backwards into Slade's grasp, causing them both to back up and fall into the kitchen once again. She thought that that would have been enough to get Slade to let go, if only for a moment. But she was wrong. He held onto her hands with an iron grip as she struggled to get away from him.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Addie," He told her, trying to calm her down.

"Don't Call Me That!" she yelled again.

Slade sighed and pulled out a pair of cuffs. Within seconds, Slade had hand cuffed the still struggling Adeline, who attempted to hit him, hurt him in any way with every chance she got.

"Adeline," he said.

He hoped that she could understand this had nothing to do with her. But whether she did or not didn't seem to matter as she glared at him with a deep sense of hatred in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'll explain later," Slade said.

Pulling out a cloth laced with chloroform, he firmly placed it over Adeline's mouth and nose. As Adeline struggled to free herself, she slowly felt the drowsy effects overwhelming her body. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling and then to Slade. Eventually, all she could see was his eye. His lone eye watching her before she passed out. Slade removed the cloth with a sigh. It was extremely unfortunate that it had to be this way, but it didn't much matter. Quickly cleaning up the area to look as it had before the fight, Slade turned on the fan to air out Dick's room of the knock out gas.

Finally, he walked back over to Adeline who still lay unconscious on the floor. Slade looked at her for, his... memories taking over for a moment. What a complicated past they had. He looked back up at where Dick's room -- the boys' room was -- and then back at Adeline. It was a shame she had to be involved in some ways. In others, he wasn't too bothered by it. The cops would be here soon; he couldn't wait any longer. Kneeling down, Slade carefully gathered up Adeline's limp body up in his arms and carried her out of the Kane household, leaving only one person to wake up when the sirens came.

Dick rolled around in his bed when his eyes eventually opened into thin slits. The rain had stopped. The Boy Wonder was still sore and tired from the night before and he would have slept in, except for the flashing red and blue lights that were coming through his window. That's when he heard the knocking coming from the door downstairs. Slowly getting up, Dick opened his front door and walked downstairs. He held a hand up in front of his eyes as he went to the front door. Opening it up, he found Detective Yin standing in front of him in the damp cold.

"Dick?" She asked.

She didn't wait for him to finish nodding before continuing, her voice serious and to the point, "We received a phone call this evening from Ms. Kane's cell phone. Could we speak with her?"

Dick nodded again, confused, sure, but nodded, "Ms. Kane!"

He waited a moment before calling again, "Ms. Kane!"

At that, Dick's heart began to race as he heard Yin ask him, "May we come in, Dick?"

He nodded and stepped aside as a few cops followed her. Dick sank against a wall. Where... Where was she? He looked outside. Her car was still here. Dick felt himself clench his fists. What, what was going on? Where was Ms. Kane? She... This wasn't normal. Outside, Commissioner Gordon pulled up and stepped out of his car. He didn't need to step inside to know that this was going to be a mess. It was all going to be a big mess.

-T-

**A/N:** I'm starting to wonder if Robin must hate me by now. And every other great superhero probably does too... Ah, well, that's how the story goes. I'm just the scribe. Hehe, it's so much fun to do this sort of thing. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please review! Just to let you know, the next chapter might be a little late. We're hitting that part of the summer in which I'm going on a lot of vacations. So... we'll see how this turns out. The next few chapters should contain some humor by the way, which I hope you will like. So yeah, thanks for reading. Later!

Rena


	22. Chapter 22: Adeline's Will

**Disclaimer:** All right, I admit it, I don't own Teen Titans or Carrie Underwood or even a red sweater! Just stop throwing the harpoons at me!

**Author's Note: **So remember when I said that there was going to be humor in this chapter? Well… I didn't realize that I wasn't going to be able to get to the funny parts. But I promise, I've already started the next chapter and hopefully it will be much lighter than this one. Poor Dick though… I hope he (or Alfred) won't kill me after this… At least comic relief is coming, right? Lol. Oh, and thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. I think you'll all like this chapter. At least, I hope you do, -crosses fingers-, lol. Oh, and man, 'The Dark Knight' people! Wasn't that not the most amazing thing ever made? I saw it opening night and loved every minute of it. But yeah, let me let you read the chapter ;-D . "Chapter Twenty-Two: Adeline's Will"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Adeline's Will**

For the next hour, Dick sat in the kitchen while police officers came in and out of Ms. Kane's house. He kept his ears open, his eyes wide for any detail. He doubted that he'd get the chance to look over the house till much later. But what bothered him the most was the circumstances. This wasn't right. The idea that Ms. Kane, that she could have been taken without a fight, it seemed almost absurd to even consider. She had been in the Army. She must have known how to defend herself. And how could he have not have heard anything, anyway?

As Dick pondered the possibilities, he watched Yin direct the officers around the house. Gordon, on the other hand, remained at her side, also thinking. He looked over at Dick and then back at his own shoes. Yin had told him her suspicions. She guessed that Ms. Kane might have been another target in the recent murders, due to her connection to the security network at Wayne Tower. And he had to admit, that was probably the most likely. However, the fact that Dick was now close to, if not present to these... murders and disappearances, bothered him.

This was why he was eager to get Dick out of the house and back to the police department, "Yin, I'm taking Dick with me to the station. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, Commissioner," she said, slightly distracted by the other officers.

Commissioner Gordon walked over to Dick and tried to offer a small smile of comfort, "Dick, do you want to get your stuff?"

Dick looked up at him and nodded. Getting up, Dick went to his room and quickly shut the door. He'd only have a few minutes. Unlocking the toy box, Dick got his Robin stuff out and began to pack everything else afterwards. It took him only a few minutes, but as he looked under his bed for the last case for his laptop, Dick noticed something by the leg of the bed. Reaching for the small object, Dick pulled out a thin tube. It definitely wasn't there before and it certainly wasn't children's toy. A small opening was at either side at the top.

Raising an eyebrow, Dick took a shirt of his and wrapped the object inside of it. With that, he zipped the last suitcase and locked up his computer. Coming down the steps, he met Gordon who again tried to offer up a faint smile. He helped Dick with a suitcase and put them in the back of the car. Dick got in the passenger's seat as Gordon got in and started the car for Gotham's center. They rode in silence for a while, neither knowing exactly how to start a conversation or if they even wanted to. Was it just going to be pointless, anyway? Gordon looked over at Dick, whose face was void of any expression.

"Dick..." Gordon started, "I know that this has got to be hard, but I'm going to tell you what we think is going on."

Dick looked over passively and then nodded as Gordon continued, "Yin believes that Kane must have known something about the murders, which is viable because of her position at the Enterprises..."

"She did know," Dick said.

Gordon looked over at Dick who finally spoke, "She suspected that it wasn't just Ravager. You didn't listen to her."

Gordon gripped the steering wheel hard as his mouth went dry, "Dick, I didn't know about any of that. Do you know who she thought could be involved?"

Dick shook his head, "She didn't know who. But she said that they were smarter than Ravager, and cleaner."

"Oh my... Dick..." Gordon shook his head, "I..."

There was more than one person involved. And even then, that made sense. Joker's scheme and Ethan's death happening at the same time, even then, that should have been a clear sign. These were more than just vigilante villains. They knew how to run a crime scheme as complicated as murder and keep their identity a mystery.

"Dick, I'm... Right now, we have only a slight clue as to what exactly we're dealing with and I'm not going to treat you like a child and pretend we do." Gordon told him, "The fact that you've been close to both Ms. Kane's and Bruce's... incidences, worries me. There is also a possibility in my mind that the Wayne family fortune might be the target."

Dick nodded as Gordon concluded, "What I'm most concerned about, though, is your safety, so I need you to trust me right now."

"Okay," Dick said as they pulled up to the station and Gordon parked.

"Come on," he said, pulling out two of Dick's suitcases and walking towards the entrance.

Dick grabbed the last bag and followed him inside. Outside, one news reporter was already on the scene. He wondered if anyone else would consider this news. Once inside, Gordon brought him into his office. Sitting inside, Dick held his laptop case and kept his suitcase with his Robin supplies close by. He heard Gordon yelling at Sawyer and Bullock, but his mind was wrapped up in other things.

He kept considering the two theories. Somehow, he leaned more towards Yin's idea. It's easy to steal a fortune. If they had wanted a fortune, well, whoever they were, they could have stolen it with ease, considering how well they've handled all of these murders. But... what had Ms. Kane found? She had never mentioned anything. And if his own suspicions were correct, he had been knocked out by whatever had been inside of that thin tube.

Outside, Gordon and the others worked through a massive pile of paperwork. Sawyer looked outside at the press woman. She normally wouldn't have minded, but at six in the morning? Didn't these people have anything better to do with their lives? She couldn't believe that anyone was ever even naturally up at this unkind hour of the morning. However, downtown, one person was working tirelessly in the public clinic.

Leslie Thompkins, a long time friend of the Waynes, wiped sweat from her forehead. She'd been up all night helping a child who seemed to be suffering from an unruly and upset stomach. At the moment, the child had taken some medicine to stop him from vomiting again, giving Leslie the chance to take a breather.

"Oh, Ms. Thompkins, thank you so much, thank you." The woman, Ms. Reeves, told her, "I don't know what I would have done..."

Leslie nodded. She was used to this sort of thing, "It's no problem, but, I don't think I can handle this here. You need to take him to a hospital."

"I don't know how I'd pay for that though!" Ms. Reeves explained, distraught, "After the boy's father left..."

"Apply for help at Wayne Enterprises," Leslie told her, "They have a program started up by Thomas Wayne when he was a doctor that was aimed at helping those who couldn't afford expensive surgeries and treatments."

"They do that?" Ms. Reeves asked.

"I believe so," Leslie said, "Bruce Wayne kept it up and running, so I don't see why it wouldn't be."

"That Bruce Wayne was always such a kind heart," Ms. Reeves said, "I know that he was a playboy, but with all of the charity functions that he did -- not everybody does that and there certainly are not that many playboys even thinking of that sort of thing."

Leslie's movements slowed, "Yeah, he was a great man... He paid for and sponsored this clinic."

"He did?" Ms. Reeves asked, "Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. It's quite sad about what happened to him, though."

"Yeah," Leslie said, "He didn't deserve that."

"Oh, he didn't deserve any of it!" Ms. Reeves exclaimed, "That grizzly murder or what happened to his parents. It's almost like he was cursed."

"I couldn't deny that," Leslie said as they entered the waiting room.

The TV had the news on low, but it was the images that caught Leslie's eyes,_ "We have reason to believe that there was another murder, one Ms. Adeline Kane, went missing this evening. Ms. Kane was working with Wayne Enterprises in the security department. The police have yet to confirm or deny any of the rumors that have been circulating."_

Leslie bit her lip, "Um, excuse me, Ms. Reeves. I, uh, need to call someone..."

Racing out of the waiting room, Leslie went to her office and grabbed her cell phone, muttering, "Come on, Alfred, come on, pick up!"

Finally she heard an answer, "Hello? Leslie?"

"Alfred, have you seen the morning news?" She asked him.

"I... I'm afraid not. I've still been sleeping, why?" Alfred answered.

"It's that Ms. Kane that Dick was staying with. She's gone missing," Leslie told him.

Alfred got up from his bed as he quickly replied, "Did they say where Dick is now?"

"No, I don't think the press even knows," Leslie told him, "Listen, I can't leave now, I've got patients here, but I'd say that you'd better get down there and find out what's going on."

Alfred nodded, "All right, I will be down there as soon as possible."

Racing to get dressed and to the car, Alfred didn't bother with looking formal. Igniting the engine, he raced down to the station, not much bothering to drive very safely, but then again there weren't that many people on the road. When he got there, he was relieved to find that there were not many people there. Just the cops and that one reporter. Parking the car and running inside, Alfred came up to the front desk.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, but I need to speak with Commissioner James Gordon," Alfred told the receptionist.

She said, "I'm sorry, but he's very busy at the moment, working with a few..."

"This is about Mr. Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne's former ward!" Alfred exclaimed, "It's urgent, I must speak with him!"

"I..." The woman looked at Alfred's pleading face and then nodded, "I'll see what I can do."

Alfred breathed a sigh of relief and answered, "Thank you ma'am. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, he should know me."

Inside the Police Department, Gordon came back into his office with Bullock. Dick looked up as Gordon went to his desk and threw a phone up at Bullock.

"You'll call him?" He asked.

"That or I'll get Maggie to," Bullock answered.

"Fine, just, do it," Gordon said, his exhaustion apparent.

Dick sat up and looked over at him, "Call who, Commissioner?"

Gordon looked over at Dick and was about to answer when the phone rang. Picking it up, Gordon answered, "Yes?"

"Commissioner, there's a Mr. Alfred Pennyworth here to see you," The receptionist said.

Gordon bit his lip and sighed, "All right, send him up to my office."

As he hung up Dick stood up, "Alfred's here?"

"Dick..." Gordon started, "Listen, this is going to much easier for all of us if you and Alfred cooperate."

"Huh?" Dick asked, but he didn't get an answer as at that moment, Alfred came up to the office, as though he had just sprinted.

"Master Dick!" He exclaimed.

"Hi, Alfred," Dick answered.

"Mr. Pennyworth," Gordon said, "As I just finished telling Dick, I would greatly appreciate it if both of you cooperated with us today."

"Well, certainly," Alfred answered.

Gordon raised a brow, but decided to forget about it for the moment as he wasn't sure if he was ready for the argument that would break out.

Almost on cue, Bullock ran back in, followed shortly by Sawyer, "He's on his way, Commissioner."

"Thank you Sawyer," Gordon said, "Would you both stay for a few minutes?"

The two officers nodded and closed the door, making Dick nervous. Who were they talking about anyway?

"Dick, in light of what has happened to both Ms. Kane and Mr. Wayne, we have a responsibility to place you in the proper care of an appointed guardian," Gordon explained.

Dick understood and let Gordon continue, "As it was, Ms. Kane had been officially appointed as your guardian when Bruce died. That being said, her will is what we are to follow, as stated in Bruce's will..."

"What?" Dick asked, "But he..."

The three police officers looked away. They knew what this was. Sawyer was silently fuming that Gordon had kept them in here while Bullock was just sick of the whole thing in general. He could only imagine what was running through Dick's head at this point.

"You mean..." Dick started, but he couldn't finish that, "I... I don't know anyone that was related to Ms. Kane! I only know about her sons and I haven't even seen a picture of them. That's not fair!"

"I'm afraid that I must agree," Alfred said, indignantly, "All of this, actually, seems competely wrong to me. I was nearly certain that I was within the will of Master Wayne as were others – Mr. Kent, even you, Commissioner."

Gordon sighed, "I know. You don't think I like this, do you?"

Dick cast his gaze down and away. Of course, he knew that Gordon didn't want to do this. He knew that. But at this point, he sort of wished that none of them had to deal with that.

"According to Ms. Kane's will, those under her care and responsibility were to go into the custody of a Mr. Grant Wilson, a close associate that used to serve with her in the US Army. That means, inclusively, you, Dick," Gordon said, "Alfred, Dick, please understand that this is not a decision I've made lightly, nor would any court."

"But why can't I live with Alfred?" Dick asked, "I'm sixteen! Can't I choose?"

"Not really, kid," Sawyer stepped in, "After the recent events, the judge would be more concerned for your safety than your preference."

"And Mr. Wilson's profile with the law is outstanding," Bullock added, "You'd really have a tough time convincing the judge that you'd be safe in Wayne Manor, no offense, Mr. Pennyworth."

"I take none," Alfred said, "But, still, this will nonsense is preposterous. I'd like to read the will myself, at this point."

"Mr. Pennyworth, I'm sorry, truly. If there was anything I could do, I would have done it," Gordon explained.

He looked over at Dick who had sat down and was refusing to look at him. With a sigh, he added, "Dick, I don't like any of this, but I promise you, nothing else is going to happen."

None of them thought that Dick really heard him. But he did. And the idea that nothing else was going to happen seemed more like a lie. Yeah, sure, nothing else was going to happen. Bruce was dead. Ms. Kane was missing, probably dead too. All that didn't mean anything. Yeah, sure. Ms. Kane was a professional fighter, a soldier. And Bruce... he was Batman! And Batman, the Dark Knight... He was gone. That meant everything was going to happen. Gotham was going to get worse and nothing would ever get better. He couldn't save Ms. Kane. And right now, he couldn't do anything about this either.

Sawyer and Bullock slowly left the room. It was a bit of a relief for both of them, to get out of such a tense situation. However, they didn't get very far down the hall when Sawyer stopped, causing Harvey to bump into her.

"What?" He asked.

That's when he saw who she was looking at. A man in a business suit and trench coat came walking down the hall, looking from door to door. While certainly not very young, the man wasn't old either. His hair was blonde, slightly gray, and it covered part of his right eye. He looked tired and despite the slouch, he was still quite tall and well built. At the site of Maggie's gaze, the man smiled and walked over to her.

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but, my name's Grant Wilson, and I got a call about a friend, Adeline?" He asked.

Maggie blushed slightly, "Uh, um, yes, Commissioner Gordon would like to speak with you."

"Yeah," Bullock said, "He's down two doors on the left."

Wilson smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

As Wilson walked past them, Bullock looked between Wilson and Sawyer and asked, "What's the goo-goo eyes for?"

That snapped her out of it in a second's notice, "Huh? What? I, I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, yeah, your eyes spoke volumes, Maggie," Bullock told her as they continued to walk down the hall.

Gordon and Alfred looked up at the knock on the door. Gordon got up and answered it, letting the newcomer in.

"Mr. Wilson, I'm assuming?" Gordon asked.

"Yes, I'm Grant Wilson, it's good to meet you," Wilson said with a small smile, "And you're Commissioner Gordon?"

"Yes, I am," Gordon answered, "I'm sorry for this abruptness, Mr. Wilson, but with everything going on..."

"It's fine, I was nearby, anyway," Mr. Wilson told them, "So what is this all about. The person I spoke to said something about Adeline Kane?"

"Yes, well, Ms. Kane has recently gone missing... likely dead, considering everything..." Gordon told him.

"Dead?" Wilson asked, "Are you serious?"

"Very, Mr. Wilson," Gordon answered.

Wilson took a step back, "That... What?"

Gordon shook his head, "I'm sorry that you have to hear about it this way, but the reason we called you is because of Ms. Kane's will and the urgency of the matter."

"Her will?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, you are aware that you were listed in her will as the caretaker of her sons, are you not?" Gordon asked.

"Well, yes, but, to my knowledge, her boys have left the house, so why..." Wilson began, but Gordon nodded over to the side where Dick sat.

For a moment, the facade was dropped from Slade's face and a small ironic smile came to his face. But no one noticed. Dick finally looked up at the man. At the site of him, Dick locked on with the visible eye that wasn't hidden by the man's, Wilson's, hair. Almost instantaneously, Dick felt himself tense and he gulped down a bit of... fear? Wilson broke the gaze when he turned back to Gordon for an explanation.

"Ms. Kane recently was given recent custody of Dick Grayson, former ward of Bruce Wayne," Gordon explained, "Our two options now are we can give custody either to the state or to you."

"Me?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, Mr. Wilson, you see, our ideal position would be to place Dick in the care of someone with a respectable record and not to someone randomly picked out of a filing cabinet," Gordon continued.

"Well, Commissioner, I'd hardly go as far as calling my record respectable – I just served in the Army," Wilson told him, "But I can understand the situation..."

Slade looked over at Alfred, who was still not entirely happy with the situation, "Am I missing something?"

Alfred finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wilson, I'm sure you've got a good record and are a good person and all of that, but, let me explain. I used to work for Mr. Wayne as his butler and all of this bother with Dick's welfare has been quite troublesome as it's been a messy situation ever since Master Wayne's death. Originally, I and others believed that someone... closer to Master Wayne than Ms. Kane would end up taking care of Dick. That has yet to happen."

"Oh, I see," Wilson stated, sympathetically, "Well, eh..."

"Alfred Pennyworth," Alfred filled in.

"Mr. Pennyworth," Wilson included, "I'm deeply sorry about all of this."

"We're sorry that we have to bring you into all of this, actually," Gordon added to Wilson, "But here's our real question, would you be willing to take care of Dick for the time being?"

Slade looked over at Dick, finally noticing that the boy hadn't taken his eyes off of him. His answer was obvious.

"I wouldn't mind at all," Wilson stated, "I've got a couple guest bedrooms available."

Looking over at Alfred, he insisted, "I promise, Mr. Pennyworth, I'll take the best of care of Dick. You can visit whenever you'd like, as long as I'm not on a business trip, of course. That would be quite difficult."

Alfred eyed Wilson, but nodded. What else could he really ask for? Slade smiled and then looked back at Dick. The boy's eyes were still on him. They weren't... angry or suspicious, though. The boy looked more so confused and maybe even a little hurt. He could understand why. There wasn't much thought given to any of this, now, was there? Well, actually, there was quite a lot of time and money and energy planned into this on his end, but not on everyone else's part.

"Well, then," Gordon said, pulling at the collar of his shirt, "On behalf of the city officials, thank you."

"No problem," Wilson again told them, "Do you want me to take him now or later or...?"

Gordon looked over at Dick in question. Dick gulped and glanced over at Alfred, whose face was grim in defeat. After a moment of consideration, Dick got to his feet, a bag in his hand and shrugged. Gordon took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.

"I suppose now, if that's possible. We've already got all Grayson's belongs," Gordon responded.

Wilson nodded and walked over to Dick, "Can I help you with your stuff, Dick?"

Dick glanced up at Wilson for a moment. His voice was firm, but calm, almost gently nudging him to get his things. Dick handed him a suitcase, before turning to Alfred. Alfred gave him a small look of regret, but welcomed the hug that Dick gave him quickly.

"Do not worry, Master Dick, I'm sure you're in good hands – I will see you soon," Alfred told him comfortingly.

Dick nodded and walked over to the door where Wilson was, following the man out the door and down the halls of the police department. There was an awkward silence between them. It wasn't like being with Ms. Kane, where they'd just start with some small talk and work their way up to a normal conversation. This was more like they just didn't talk. Getting to the car, Wilson brought Dick's stuff around to the trunk and unlocked the car. Dick got in the passenger's seat and Wilson got in the driver's seat seconds after. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Wilson dialed a number.

"Hello? Hi, Sherry, it's Grant," Slade said, faking the phone call, "Could you do me a favor and tell them I'm going to be a bit late today? I've had to deal with a family emergency… You can? Thank you. I'll see you in a couple hours then, all right? All right, bye."

Dick didn't look up at Wilson. Slade tried to keep his attention focused on the road, but it was becoming very difficult to do so. Finally, after all of this time, here he was, sitting in the car, driving a compliant Dick Grayson, the boy under the mask, to his house under the legal confines of the system. How he loved democracy. The boy's face was sullen and he remained quiet, his attention on his shoes. He'd have to work on that. He couldn't have the boy unhappy. Or at least, remain unhappy for the time being and under these circumstances.

In general, Adeline seemed to have done a good job in keeping the boy healthy. Despite the baggy pants and the loose shirt, Slade could tell that Dick was still very fit, perhaps a bit skinny, but overall, he was in good shape. The one thing that Slade had to keep in mind often times was that Dick was naturally thin thanks to his heritage, which he had now confirmed as a fact. Still though, some of that couldn't be natural – the boy wasn't eating that much, was he? Adeline couldn't watch him all the time, with her job that is, so he couldn't blame her for it. Dick had a… tendency, both as Robin and as Dick, to not eat as much as he should. He'd work on that with the boy.

In terms of countenance, Dick's face was still pretty hard to read at this point. Slade knew that the boy was still in a bit of shock after what had happened with Adeline, but he could still pull out some things that were more from the effects of time than what had just happened. The boy's eyes sagged, he was tired, like he hadn't slept well in ages, and he was quiet, not saying a word or even bothering to notice everything. It was like he was just going with it. That… was something Slade couldn't quite tell as to whether or not he liked that yet.

But still, out of all the things that Slade took note of was the boy's true face. For the past two years, he had known the masked face of Robin the Boy Wonder to be his enemy. Now, seeing who was under that mask, it was almost surprising – he couldn't look away without forcibly reminding himself that he had to. The boy's blue eyes were stunning with emotion, it was evidently obvious, and yet they were all closed off.

Slade gripped the wheel of the car. He had to say something at this point, so it wasn't so awkward, "Dick… I'm sorry about all this."

Dick shrugged slightly, "I… No, I'm sorry. It's not your fault that you've been dragged into this."

Wilson smiled slightly before continuing, "It's not really a problem for me…. Dick, the one thing I'm really confused about… what's the story behind all of this?"

Dick's eyes were glued to his shoes, "When Wayne died, something happened with his will or I guess it was a mistake made a long time ago, but somehow, I was supposed to go into the care of his cousin, Ms. Kane. So now that she's…. gone, I don't know. I guess they follow her will now…"

Wilson shook his head, "The laws' odd like that."

"Yeah, I guess…" Dick commented.

Dick eyed Wilson. He hadn't taken much time to really look at him before. He was older – probably around Bruce's age. He had a goatee that was roughly trimmed and a few of his bangs fell in his face. The man looked like he had been the army, especially with the way he held himself. His jaw line was very defined and he also had broad shoulders. Somehow, that didn't come as a surprise either. For some reason, Dick felt a slight eerie sensation. He felt almost out of place, like he shouldn't be there. Then again, he didn't really want to be there, anyway…

They headed into uptown Gotham where Slade got off the main roads and started heading down the rows of townhouses, eventually pulling up to a light brown one a few stories tall. Parking the car, Wilson got out and opened the trunk to get out Dick's things. Dick got out and looked up at the townhouse. It wasn't very different from the ones surrounding it, but it looked well kept from what he could tell. Wilson handed him a suitcase and walked up the small flight of steps.

"Do you share this house?" Dick asked.

"Nope, it's all one place," Wilson told him, taking out a key and opening the front door.

Upon walking inside, Dick had to stop and marvel and the inside. It was much wider than it had appeared to be outside. The place held a modern grandeur, but at the same time, a very classic appeal to it. The kitchen was mostly silver plated while the front room held a fireplace, apparently an entertainment room or something – it was built for leisure. Farther back was another room that he could see, but he'd have to check that out later, as Wilson was carrying his things up the stairs. Hurrying up after him, Dick found a long hallway with six doors.

Wilson walked up to one door and opened it, "You've got your choice, this one or…"

He opened another door, "This one."

Dick looked inside both of them. One was a single bed with a deep red paint and the other had another single bed, but it held a bit more of a old fashioned feel to it. Dick nudged his was over to the red room again and Wilson took that as a sign of decision. He had a feeling he would like this room more. After all, he had designed it to fit Dick's preferences. Dick put his things down and walked to the window.

"I'm sorry it's a little dusty," Wilson admitted, "I don't get too many visitors anymore."

"No, it's fine, thanks," Dick said, turning to him.

"All right then, well, you look like you could use a rest," Wilson told him, "I need to go to the office."

"You're leaving?" Dick asked, surprised, "But, we just got here."

Wilson nodded and with a small chuckle answered, "Unfortunately I do, I have to explain to my boss as to why the one time I need to go into work I come in late. Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Slade walked down the hallway and to the steps. Dick watched as Wilson's figure walked out of site as the steps hid him. He heard the door open and close shut. Dick raised a brow. What was that? Come on! What, the guy was just going to drop him off and go to work? Did people just think that he was some problem? Some annoying sheet of paper to be tossed around from owner to owner? Probably. He was supposedly the heir to Bruce's fortune, but really. That was just… Dick growled despite himself. Slamming the door to his new '_new_' room shut, Dick walked over to the window, gripping the sides of it tightly.

Was he really this pathetic? Bruce had trusted him. Taught him everything. And he couldn't keep some murderer or some psychotic maniac from getting rid of his own guardian? Twice for that matter! Twice! Dick felt anger at himself begin to burn in his chest. And now he couldn't even figure out why he was now living with some stranger that even Alfred didn't know. No one knew him in fact. They just met the guy and just because he was in the army at one point they trusted him. Dick turned away from the window. To be fair, Wilson seemed like a nice enough guy. But he hardly knew him. All he really knew was that his name was Grant Wilson. Yeah, that helped out a ton. And just because the guy took him in, it didn't give him a good enough reason to like him.

He wanted to go out – the feeling of thrill sounding quite comforting at the moment. But he couldn't do that. Not with Wilson out. He didn't know when the man would come back. Alfred had told him that often times, before Dick came along, he thought that Bruce would go out, not to fight, but to get rid of pain. And to do that, he'd numb himself nearly to the core, become a monster to criminals. Dick could see now why Bruce would do that. As much as it sounded self-destructive, Dick found himself wanting to be something else. Robin. Robin could do so much more than Dick could. Dick was confined, but Robin could be free.

Dick held his head. Now he was separating himself into two people. He couldn't do that. He mustn't do that. He knew how wrong it was. He knew what it would put his associates through. His friends and his family… _What family?_ Dick nearly choked as he caught himself thinking that and wrapped his arms around his chest. He wouldn't think about it. And no matter what, he still couldn't split himself up. He shouldn't do that. It was too unhealthy to do and he needed his health right now. Somehow, he knew deep down, he knew he wasn't convinced.

Dick collapsed on his bed. Bruce was gone. Ms. Kane was gone. He knew there had to be a connection. He'd start searching for it the chance he got out and maybe, just maybe, the connection would lead him to something much greater. Like the person who was responsible for their deaths and or disappearance.

A strong sense of compulsive lust for vengeance suddenly overcame Dick's mind. He thought of Bruce. Of everything. Of being a kid kneeling in the small pools of blood from his parents' dead bodies and seeing Bruce watching him from a distance. Of taking the oath, becoming Robin. Of running through the city, stopping criminals. To a great extent, he had fun doing it, especially on those rare occasions when he could get Batman to let a smile slip. And finally, finally to the day he left, unable to satisfy Batman's standards and qualifications. In the long run, he had failed him. He couldn't do that again. He wouldn't do that again.

Perhaps it was the headache that came from thinking over everything, but Dick found his eyes dropping till they closed shut. A cool wind swept past his window. Outside, about a mile away, Slade sat in the car rubbing his fake eye, careful to keep the make up in place. It was at least a ten minute job to redo it. The one thing that was probably the creepiest thing though, throughout it all, was that he was smiling. Like, actually smiling without stopping after the first two seconds.

It didn't leave and Slade chuckled at how easy this all was. He'd really have to drop Luthor a thank you note or a gift basket for all of this. Glancing at the clock, Slade decided to go get what he'd need for dinner. He drove off down the road, along with other cars. He was hidden in the mass of cars and trucks, a traffic jam, no doubt, but really, he liked Gotham. Once this was all over, he'd have to visit a lot more often. A lot more.

-T-

**A/N:** Oh, dude, you have no idea how long I've waited for this chapter to come about. Like, since before Chapter One. –does little dance and clicks heals- anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. And man, I just realized how much angst I put in the last part. Sighs, well, that's how the story goes, right, Lol? Please review! Now I feel like singing: _'That boy there well he's playing a fool, he thinks he's funny and he thinks he's cool. Well, I don't think so, I don't think so. Cheap date, bad something, something, something…? Oh yeah, I close my eyes and….'_ Oh wait, sorry, later and stay amazing!

Rena


	23. Chapter 23: Day One

**Disclaimer:** Hahaha, oh dude, next you're going to say I'm responsible for killing Dumbledore, oh man, yeah, I don't own the Titans or DC Comics. Never have, probably never will, I can only hope... ;-D

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know that I've been a little out of it lately and not updating as quickly as I should be during the summer. But here's my three excuses: One, I'm obsessed with 'The Dark Knight' and its awesomeness (yeah, ironic isn't it that I kill off the main character in that movie in my story). And secondly, I had a really annoying case of writer's block for just this story that ended like, Saturday, but, because I have to write, as impulsive as I am, I got several one-shots done! And I actually will publish them soon! Thirdl I've been reading a lot so there are my excuses. But anyways, thank you for your patience. You're all amazing and I love reading your reviews. For the last chapter especially, they made me feel so happy, you have no idea. But yeah, let me let you read this next chapter: "Chapter Twenty Three: Day One"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Day One**

The day was unusually frigid as Luthor stepped out to get to the limo. As soon as he entered, he felt the warmth overpower the cold air from outside. He was in a good mood, incredibly. He had just sealed a deal with Wayne Enterprises (to the reluctance of a Ms. Wagner and half of the board of directors). He had heard after the unfortunate deaths of both Wayne and Earle that the company had decided that rather than appoint a new head, that they would put control of the company in the hands of the board until they deemed it... safer for their employees.

That allowed for him to easily allow 'democracy', meaning a near half and half vote, to decide if they'd do business with him. And with a few extra dollars in their pockets... well, that could go a long way. Of course he had been slightly surprised that Slade had targeted Earle, but whatever Slade was doing wasn't his business. His first thought was that Slade was attempting to cover up Wayne with a mess of murders, but knowing Slade, Luthor had a feeling that there was more to it than that.

Not that it really mattered. As long as it didn't cut into his business, he didn't care. Luthor drove down the streets of Metropolis. After such an excellent deal, he felt the urge to go down to Cadmus himself to deliver him the shipping details. Glancing outside, Luthor saw a streak of red and blue pass by him. Wouldn't he be glad when there was a day that he _didn't_ look up and see that. He felt that birds and planes were good enough.

Upon arrival, Luthor stepped out and walked immediately towards the doors. He didn't like the cold. Once inside, he took off the jacket and let an assistant take it. Walking down the hall, he eventually found Westfield's office. Unfortunately, he wasn't in his office. Resisting the urge to growl, Luthor walked down the hall, looking through the construction rooms' windows. After a minute or so, he finally found Westfield. Storming into the room, Westfield turned to see Luthor in surprise.

"Mr. Luthor, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"How's that technology piece I ordered coming?" Luthor asked back.

Westfield bit his tongue and slowly answered, "The sonic cannon is... well, mostly up and running. But the technology we have is having a hard time converting the... um, the..."

"Well, then, you should be happy with this news," Luthor told him.

Luthor motioned for him to follow him. Westfield told the workers to take five and followed Luthor back to his own office. Luthor walked up to the desk and sat behind it, trying hard to ignore the pictures on the desk of Westfield's family.

"I've just sealed the deal with Wayne Enterprises. Project Xeno-mineral is ours," Luthor told him.

"Project Xeno-Mineral, sir? Is that the final component?" Westfield asked.

Luthor sighed, "Well, yes, considering your people can only seem to duplicate other people's designs."

"We were right on the verge of..." Westfield began, but was cut off.

"Right on the verge of telling me that you're not satisfied with your pay, right?" Luthor interrupted, "Dr. Westfield, if your people could have come up with this sort of thing, then they're in serious trouble because I would probably fire them if that was the case."

Westfield remained quiet for a moment before continuing, "Well, what is the extent of Project Xeno-Mineral's files?"

Luthor chuckled, "It has the ability to break down the mineral to its base form, and reconstruct it into almost an anti-mineral form. Afterwards, it converts it into a form of energy. They were going to test other ways to convert this matter, but stopped there."

"And by mineral, you mean... Kryptonite?" Westfield asked.

Luthor smiled, but answered, "I never said that, but then again, what other Xeno-minerals are there of interest? What I'd like your people to do is to take out the portion of the machine that converts it into anti-Kryptonite. There's no reason to make Superman stronger, after all."

"And then you'd like us to use the energy with the sonic cannon's design?" Westfield ended.

"Precisely," Luthor said, "You can do that, right?"

"Should be easy enough," Westfield informed him.

Luthor got up, satisfied. At least they could do that right. Before he got to the door, though, he turned around, "How's the cannon coming, by chance?"

"Oh, uh, it's down the hallway to the left, if you want to see it. It's almost done," Westfield informed him.

"Good," Luthor said, before walking out the door to see the cannon.

Normally, Luthor would have just walked out, but even he could appreciate a weapon such as the sonic cannon. He took a moment to take in the enormous ferocity of the Sonic Cannon. And to think, in time, it would actually be done. It was perhaps at this moment that Luthor decided that he didn't care how long it had taken Slade to complete his job. He'd probably contact him again. His work was clean, efficient, and most of all effective. He left no trails that it had been him. And that's what mattered.

"Soon, Superman, soon, you'll meet your doom," Luthor said, under his breath.

Luthor headed for the exit so that he could go back to LexCorp's headquarters in downtown Metropolis. Not too far away from LexCorp, inside the Daily Planet, Clark Kent was falling asleep at his desk while Lois typed like a mad woman on her keyboard while holding a cell phone up by her shoulder. Jimmy was down in the lounge, probably getting a Snickers bar. Clark didn't feel like speculating.

"I see, uh huh, okay, and you can confirm this?" Lois asked, "Yes, yes, thank you."

As Lois dropped the phone, Clark looked over to ask, "So what did you find out this time?"

"Well, all I can tell you is that Luthor's been taking out large amounts of money from his local banks in cash," Lois announced, "The only thing he's done lately is business with a couple companies."

"Perry's not going to buy it yet, huh?" Clark asked.

"Not yet, but I will find out what he's up to... maybe if I can do research on the selective areas..." Lois trailed off.

Clark offered a sympathetic smile when Jimmy came up to see him, "Well, they were out of Snickers."

"Sorry 'bout that," Clark told him.

"S'all right," Jimmy said, "I got a BabyRuth instead. Hey, so how's your parents doing?"

"Ma and Pa? Oh, they're doing fine," Clark told him.

"Don't you have any other family, Clark?" He asked, "I mean, you don't talk about many other people."

"Oh, I've got other family members. They're just distant, you know?" Clark told him, "There actually was a bit of turmoil earlier last month, but it seems like it's going swell now..."

That's when the phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Mr. Kent?"

"Alfred?"

"Good day to you, too, sir. Now, I'm just doing a background check on Bruce's files," Alfred said, "It's a little slower since I can't actually access Bruce's own computer... but, the bottom line is, I'm sure that we were in that will. Were we not?"

Clark was caught off guard by the question, but answered, "Um, yeah, I think I signed something... But what's this about?"

"Master Dick has been moved again," Alfred informed him.

"What?" Clark nearly yelled, "Who's watching him this time?"

"Some fellow named Grant Wilson," Alfred said, "Apparently we were to follow Ms. Kane's will..."

"Wait, Ms. Kane's dead?" Clark said.

"Not officially, just missing," Alfred informed him.

"Why didn't I..." Clark began when Alfred interrupted him.

"It just happened, Mr. Kent. Besides, I have been pretty busy with all of this," Alfred answered.

"Alright, I'm sorry, but... Yes, I'm pretty sure I signed something for Bruce like that," Clark told him, "I'll run some file searches when I get the chance. But... where is Dick exactly?"

"He's living in Uptown Gotham, in the neighborhood district. Quiet frankly, I will say that Mr. Wilson seemed like a fine gentleman, but the fact that we still don't know him bothers me," Alfred explained.

"I'd like to meet this guy myself," Clark told him, disgruntled, "Maybe even check some of the local paper work while I'm at it, too. I'll..."

"Clark, where's that article!" Perry yelled.

Clark bit his lip, "It's coming, Perry! Almost done... Alright, Alfred, I can't go down right this instant, but as soon as Perry lets me off the hook..."

"Very well then, keep me posted," Alfred said, "I will do the same for you."

"Alright. Thanks, Alfred," Clark told him.

"No problem. Good bye," Alfred said.

"'Bye," Clark answered back.

Jimmy took another bite of his BabyRuth, "Family?"

Clark glared at him, but Jimmy had seen that glare too many times for it to have a real effect on him. Eventually Clark just sighed and stared at the computer screen.

"Hey, Jimmy, when do you think that Perry would let any of us off work?" He asked.

"Maybe a couple weeks?" Jimmy answered back, "Holiday's coming up. Christmas, Hanukkah, you know. He's probably going to want an article or two in advance, though. I have to send him pictures online while I'm off since I'm not going out of town -- He wants pictures of the town tree getting lit."

"Well, I don't want to go out of town that late," Clark told him.

Jimmy took a final bite and swallowed, "Well, good luck with that."

As Jimmy finished, Lois called him over and the kid went running. Clark took off his glasses for a moment, rubbing them on his shirt needlessly. He stared at the article on his computer and quickly finished it, checking it over before printing it. Grabbing the sheet from the printer, Clark let out a breath of air and got up to head for Perry's office. Pulling at his collar, Clark resigned himself to his fate as he went to the door wondering how he was possibly going to get out of work.

"Kent!" Perry yelled.

It was now or never.

Clark almost wished never.

-T-

Dick woke to the smell of something cooking. Rubbing an eye, Dick stretched and opened the door of his room. The small nap had rid him of his headache, but left him groggy and slightly uncoordinated. Walking downstairs, Dick turned to the kitchen to find Wilson finishing up with cooking dinner. For some reason, this was unexpected. What he had expected consisted of the type of dinner Ms. Kane had often prepared, the rushed, not thinking about it too much type. But if his nose was correct, he was smelling meat cooking on what he thought was a grill... Steak?

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," Wilson said, "We'll eat in the dining room, to your right."

Wilson gestured over to the dining room and Dick looked over. Walking in, it was apparent that this guy had class. It was painted a brownish orange and the furniture was all carved wood. Dick looked at it closely. The wood was smooth, but almost more of a dark red than a brown. He eyed the carvings on the side. They looked hand carved...

"Hope you're not a vegetarian," Wilson said coming in and placing two plates on the table, jerking Dick from his trance.

"I, um, no, I'm not," Dick said, but he had found a new thing to look at.

How much food was on his plate.

"Uh..." He began.

"Something wrong, Dick?" Wilson asked.

Dick moved to sit down as Wilson did too, "I just... um, do you normally cook this much or is this just for tonight...?"

Wilson chuckled, "Don't tell me you have a small appetite, Dick."

"I, well..." Dick said, "I normally just have, um... yeah, not much. I mean, I can eat this, I just..."

Wilson eyed him and Dick gulped, without knowing why, "I... I just was hoping that you weren't just doing this for my sake."

Wilson picked up his fork and knife and began to cut the steak, "Well, you haven't had much to eat today, if I'm not mistaken. But really, I just believe in hearty meals. Gives you energy and muscle when you use it to your advantage."

"Uh, huh," Dick said, starting to work at his own dish.

There was a bit of silence. Dick was starting to feel awkward. The quite was unnerving.

"Um, I, uh, do have a friend that's a vegetarian," Dick said, thinking back to earlier.

"Oh?" Wilson asked.

_'Probably Beast Boy,'_ he thought resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, it's sort of ridiculous sometimes," Dick said, "Especially on pizza night..."

"Pizza night?" Wilson asked, not really interested in reality.

"Yeah, I, uh, at school, and, yeah," Dick mumbled, realizing he was getting nowhere with this.

Dick hunched his shoulders. He ate what he could but by the time he got half way through, he realized that his stomach was beginning to hurt from the amount of food. He winced as he forced himself to eat more. He didn't want to be rude, but he sort of wished that Wilson would say something, anything. But he didn't, the man continued to eat on his own, not minding the silence. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

Dick didn't.

So he did what he could to start a conversation again, "The table, it's um, really unique."

Wilson chuckled, "I suppose. I ordered it off the Internet, thought it would work in this room."

Dick nodded, "How did you come to live here?"

"My job moves all over the place, that's all," Wilson said.

"What do you do?" Dick asked.

Slade swallowed his food and answered, "Travel agencies."

"Oh," Dick said.

"You're not full are you?" Slade asked him, watching how Dick was sort of just pushing his food across the plate.

"Uh..."

"Oh, never mind that. I haven't shown you the whole house, have I?" Wilson asked.

"Uh, no," Dick answered.

Slade got up from his seat, wondering how it was possible that the kid could only eat that much. Getting up, Dick followed Wilson into the room behind the dining room. It was filled, wall-to-wall with books and shelves of other items. Dick's eyes widened. It looked like a multi-cultural mural. Mostly from Africa probably, but he could see Asian influences, European influences, even Southern American influences in there too.

"Wow..." He said.

"This is the library," Wilson explained, "When you work with travel, you get a lot of... well, rewards, to put it lightly, but on to the next room…"

Dick followed Wilson into the room in the back behind the kitchen, "This is the lounge. Up front is a welcoming room. I'm not sure exactly what to call it."

Dick resisted the urge to laugh at that as Wilson led him back upstairs, "Downstairs is just storage. Up here, you already saw half of it. The two guest rooms, now one is yours. There's a bathroom on the left. My room's at the end of the hallway. Laundry room's to the right. Then up ahead to the right is the staircase to the third floor, which just has my office."

Dick nodded as Wilson added, "I have to keep it locked because of the files I take care of, so I hope you don't hold a grudge against me if you can't get in there."

"Oh, no," Dick said, "What do you have, passports, or something?"

"Yes, birth certificates, death certificates, and other proprietary information," Wilson said plainly, but a small smile crept onto his face.

Dick raised a brow. Death certificates? What about that was funny? Dick followed Wilson down the hallway when Wilson turned around and Dick had to stop point blank in his tracks to make sure he didn't end up bumping into him.

"Listen, Dick, I know there's not much to entertain you with, so I hope you'll forgive me," Wilson said, "I'm stuck working most of the day, but they have things around the neighborhood that you might find fun."

Dick replied, faking miserably, "It's fine, I mean, yeah, who says I'm bored?"

Wilson smiled, "I'm sure you're not, Dick."

With that Wilson walked down the hall to his own room, leaving a thoroughly confused Dick Grayson alone. Well, that was weird. He wasn't quite sure what had just really occurred right there or what to make of Wilson. Maybe it was just odd because he still knew nearly nothing about the guy. Yeah, that was it. Wasn't it that way with Bruce? Actually…. It wasn't, Bruce just wasn't around enough for him to even get to know him. But that's not the point. The point was that he still knew nothing. Then again, it was just day one. Dick groaned and went into his room again.

Collapsing on his bed, Dick instantly felt sick. How much had he eaten? Turning onto his back, Dick nearly fell off his bed again when he heard his T-Communicator ring out. Kicking the door closed, Dick rummaged through his bag and quickly grabbed the communicator and silenced it.

"What?" He asked in a whisper.

"What's up with you?" Raven asked, noting his tone.

"I, got--," Dick started, "What are you trying to do, it's still early."

"Where are you?" Raven asked, looking around him.

"I…."

"Dick?" Dick turned to hear the door outside.

"I, um, be right there!" He called, closing the communicator and shoving half of his stuff under the bed and out of sight, leaving Raven on the other side of the continent thoroughly confused.

Dick ran to the door and opened it to see Wilson in front of him with a very confused expression, "What was that phone call all about?"

"The… the phone call?" Dick asked, trying to be oblivious (after all, being innocent worked out pretty well most of the time).

"You weren't talking to yourself then, were you?" Slade asked, not about to let the subject go.

"Uh… I um," Dick began, but slowly the question wedged it's way into his thought process about why he even needed to hide a phone call or even why this guy should care, "I… was talking to some friends."

"How?" Wilson asked, it was hard not to smirk, "I don't have a phone line in there."

"I… I have a cell phone…" Dick replied, stiffly, hoping that they could somehow get off topic.

"Who provides for it?" Wilson asked this time.

This was starting to get annoying. He didn't know why, but it was. Probably because Wilson could legitimately have reasons to ask these questions and because Dick should be able to honestly answer them. Either way, Dick felt an overpowering sheer annoyance. Most people would be satisfied with 'what phone call?'. Not Wilson apparently. Then again, he had been in the army, right? That's what the will had said and that meant the guy was smarter than your average kid. Dick almost felt like pouting.

"Wayne Enterprises does," Dick said, indignantly.

Despite this tone, Wilson went on as though he hadn't caught it, "I see. That's good to know. Well, I'll be downstairs in the front room."

"Okay," Dick said, before shutting the door and separating himself from Wilson.

Slade heard Dick shut the door and had to suppress the urge to march down the steps loudly. Insolent, disrespectful, little... Slade stopped at the bottom and took the moment to breath out a hint of anger. Dick hadn't acted this way when Adeline had taken him in. Then again, the kid was probably still in shock at that point. Walking into the front room, Slade sat down and picked up a package, unwrapping it to reveal a copy of The Art Of War by Sun Tzu. He smirked. He'd read it a dozen times, but with every new analysis of it, he'd buy a copy to see what else he could learn from it. Often nothing, but every now and then...

Unfortunately, he didn't think any of them would help him with changing a teenager's disposition towards him. Slade stared at a page in the book without reading it. He had had a feeling that there would be... consequences and trade offs to this prolonged plan. After all, this time, Dick had been able to recover from the shock and had very quickly slipped back into his attitude. Slade studied it out in his mind. The goal now was to get Dick to end up liking it here. And that meant having Dick shut himself up was the last thing that he wanted to do.

Not to mention that it reminded him too much of how Dick's late mentor had worked. He would have chuckled at the thought, if it hadn't been for his other worry. In what he had seen as of lately, Dick's behavior as Robin hadn't been pleasing, either. He had barked orders at his teammates, kept a distance from them (that actually had it's good points, but was still... worrisome), and on his own had become increasingly violent and, to some extent, reckless.

He was mixed on the issue. It was... promising, in some ways, to see that Robin possessed such abilities, as to scare mere men and fight them with ease, as though the ability ran through his veins. He was a natural. But this... power... it had to be redirected. After all, he couldn't train an unruly apprentice and Dick didn't benefit at all from venting in that manner. If he could do that, temper that energy for the moment, it would be much easier to train him and get him to like living there.

Slade put down his book and took out a pack of cards, setting them up for solitaire, a small smile on his face. When he thought about his next step, it seemed quite simple, really. Keep Dick from getting the chance to be Robin for at least the first week or so. Get him to do something else fun and productive. And lastly, become a confidant; get Dick to trust him. Easy enough, in fact, he had a feeling he'd even have a little fun with it.

He drew his first set of cards. All aces. He took it as reflecting a promising start, for him. Upstairs, Dick was slowly unpacking his stuff. What bothered him the most was that there didn't seem to be any place for him to hide his gear. Eventually, he decided to hide it underneath the mattress. His belt and communicators remained in the front drawer of the bedside table. If he couldn't waste time, he wasn't going out without anything handy. As he was about to close the drawer, he remembered that he should probably send a message back to the Titans about that... rather rude hang up.

Deciding a text was better, Dick told them that he'd call them as soon as he got out of the house and give them the 411. After wards, he pulled out his iPod and plugged in, playing songs randomly. At the moment, he wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to feel. He couldn't help but feel angry, to say the least, at Gordon and the rest of the Police Department. Sure, he was a one man SWAT team, but it couldn't hurt if they brought in their people once in a while to do their job... Alright, so it wasn't their fault. He still was pretty irritated by it all.

And then there was Wilson. Who on earth was Wilson? Did Ms. Kane ever mention Wilson to him? He didn't think so. They were in the army together and Ms. Kane hardly ever talked about that. He wasn't bothered by that as much as he was by Wilson himself. He couldn't explain why, but through out the entire dinner, he had felt nervous. He thought back to when he first met Bruce. Yeah, he had been nervous at first and he tended to feel awkward not knowing much about him. But this was a different sort of nervousness. He saw no reason to be nervous, but he was tense, tense like he had to be.

He thought over Wilson. He worked with a travel business or something like that. He seemed to collect unique stuff from different countries, but that didn't really surprise him. The only thing that surprised him was how much he could possibly eat. That, and the guy could cook like only Alfred could. Then again, (even though Wilson had said he hadn't) he might have just made a big meal considering it was his first night here and... now that he thought about it, Dick really hadn't eaten much all day. The guy was right. But then, why on earth was he nervous about him?! It was inuriating. Maybe it would wear off... Yeah, that would wear off -- he hoped.

He grabbed his laptop and began to work on what he could, looking through files. He did this for about fifteen minutes before he began to fidget and grow bored and restless. Pulling out his headphones, Dick decided to see how safe it was. He didn't hear anything from the hallway or from downstairs. Wilson must have gone to bed by now. Dick went over to the window and unlocked it. The problem was: it wouldn't open. Dick tried again to budge it open, but the wood frame was sealed shut. Annoyed, Dick pushed his weight against the window again, heaving as hard as he could to force it open without breaking it because wouldn't that be a fun thing to explain to Wilson later.

After about two minutes of this, Dick stepped back and stared at the window. Alright, well, if the bottom wouldn't open, maybe the top would. Two minutes later, Dick decided to bet on the fact that he was going to have to get out some other way. The clock read 9:45. Opening the door quietly, Dick snuck down the hallway and down the staircase. It was completely dark. Completely dark,until he reached the staircase where he saw a faint light coming from downstairs. Not too worried because many people left a light or two on at night, Dick crept down the steps, but when he looked to his right at the front room, he saw Wilson sitting, reading a book with what looked like a pack of cards out on the table.

Dick's mouth dropped, slightly before Wilson looked over to see him, "Dick, you're still up? You've been pretty quiet up there?"

"Uh... yeah, I..." Dick stuttered, "I was just... getting a glass of water... yeah."

Dick made his way down the rest of the steps and somehow found the cabinet with the cups in it. He quickly downed a glass of water and turned to head up the stairs. Wilson hadn't moved. He eyed him for a moment before Wilson noticed (or rather, as Slade saw it, acknowledged him).

"Get a good night's sleep," Slade told him.

Dick forced a smile before trudging back up the stairs and then turning to sit on the top step. The guy couldn't stay up that much longer, could he? He waited about half an hour, picking at the bottoms of his jeans, when he finally decided to see if Wilson had just fallen asleep in the front room. Creeping down, he was disappointed to see Wilson was still awake, a new game of what looked like FreeCell in front of him. He scowled, at least until Wilson looked over.

"Dick, you're still up?" He asked, feigning surprise, though Dick didn't notice... much.

"I... I tend to stay up late... and I just wanted to get another glass of water," He barely managed to excuse himself.

"By all means," Wilson told him.

As Dick drank his second glass, Slade forced himself to keep from smiling as wide as he wanted to. He hadn't heard the tell tale signs that Dick had actually gone back to his room and there was no doubt in his mind that Dick had found the window to his room was sealed shut. It's amazing what some adhesives can do these days. Dick forced a natural look on his face as he passed Wilson again.

"Uh, 'night then," Dick said, before storming back upstairs to wait again.

This time, he waited maybe ten minutes before realizing that it was almost eleven. He had to get out, he couldn't wait anymore. Quietly walking to the other rooms of hallway, he found that two were locked, one was a closet without windows, and the rest of the rooms (his, the guest bedroom, and the laundry room) to all had their windows sealed shut. At this point his was considering breaking down or picking the locks to other two doors. Or, he could cut through the glass... but that would be really hard to explain to Wilson. All of these circumstances resulted in Dick sitting back at the bottom of the steps, another half hour wasted. He waited maybe twenty minutes before he decided that Wilson couldn't possibly still be up.

He crept down the stairs for the third time, careful to keep out of sight from Wilson. He bent his head down low and as soon as he could see the front room, Dick felt his jaw drop. There was Wilson, still playing cards and reading. Dick saw Wilson's head begin to turn and back flipped quietly to retreat. He would NOT drink another glass of water. No way. Slade let a silent chuckle escape him while Dick stormed back (as quietly as he could restrain himself to be) to his room, where he spent began to fume.

It was past eleven! Didn't the guy work or something in the morning? Didn't the guy move? Hadn't he already been sitting there for two hours or something? And what, was the guy paranoid that someone would break into his house or was the guy's house so old the wood had started growing together again? It was at this point, Dick realized that all nervousness had passed and Wilson had instead become officially annoying and irritating. Dick growled slightly as he dropped onto his bed. It wouldn't be like this every night, right? Right? Dick groaned at the thought.

Grabbing his communicator, he sent another text telling the Titans that he couldn't talk tonight, but would call them in the morning. Resigned to the fact that he wasn't going out tonight, Dick laid on his bed trying to think of ways to occupy his time since he was pretty sure that he wouldn't fall asleep till maybe three or four. Grabbing his laptop again, Dick started playing games until he began beating his high scores with every new game. He began to write an email to Alfred, but he couldn't send it as he wasn't hooked up to the internet. That's when he actually noticed that he was falling asleep earlier than normal. Yawning, Dick placed the laptop under his bed and let himself try to catch up on his sleep.

Around three in the morning, Slade finally came upstairs, having finished with some designs to upgrade a few models of his robots back in Jump City. Yes, he had kept himself busy and hadn't been playing cards all night long. He brought up the book with the designs inside, but stopped at Dick's room. Hearing nothing, Slade smiled and walked down the hall, ready to get a couple hours of sleep himself. Re-locking the door to his own room, Slade went to his computer and entered on his calendar.

Day one: Success.

-T-

**A/N:** Okay, so how was that? Please Review! But yeah, you guys rock, by the way. Oh, I'll be posting one-shots this week starting with _'The Star Of Vega'_ and_ 'Just Half An Inch, Please'_, so hopefully you will all be able to enjoy those. There's more on the way than just those two, but yeah, I'm starting with those. I have about eight more in mind that I might do, so we'll see how far I get with that, lol. Knowing me, I'll probably write four and then get writer's block, but yeah. I hope you guys liked the chapter. Stay awesome! Later!

Rena :-D


	24. Chapter 24: Disconnecting

**Disclaimer:** Pants, out of breath, from running...- Gah, I don't own them! Grr, when will this annoying hologram that reads 'I Don't Own Teen Titans' actually start working?! -Hits machine like crazy- I'm going to sue somebody...

**Author's Note:** Hey all you awesome people! Well, to explain my excuse for this late update... I am now bound by school again... Oh, it's a sad fact of life. Actually, on that note too, I still don't know how it's going to go with updating during this new school year. I hope to stay on track, but if not... I hope you'll forgive me.

On a happier note though, do you guys realize that we are now at the same number of chapters as **'What?'** was? This is the first time it's happened for me, too! Dudes, if this story wasn't going to go under the category of 'epic' Rena Redhead stories before, it will now! Oh, by the way, I just got a hair cut and it was a nice trim. I don't know why I'm telling you all of this, but I want to. Also I plan to try to reply to all anonymous review replies by the next time I update 'Custody'. One more thing before I let you read this. I wanted to mention that I have added quite a few OCs here in this chapter because, well, it's necessary for the story. Don't worry, I think you'll like them. At least I hope you do. I hope you've got your peanut bags now folks because I'm done talking! "Chapter Twenty Four: Disconnecting"! ;-D

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Disconnecting**

Dick sat on the couch in the lounge. That's what he had gotten used to doing for the past three days. Staying in the lounge all day and doing something mundane with his time. This time, he had the TV muted as he tried to figure out a mind bender game.

The first two days he had mostly stayed inside of his room, trying to work when he could. Ultimately, he got hardly any work done. Despite the fact that Wilson supposedly worked during the day, the guy took an awful lot of breaks and, in Dick's opinion, he had taken the chance every time to check in on him. This made it extremely difficult to do any work at all. However, he somehow managed, via texting, to tell the Titans what was going on. They had all rather disliked the idea of Dick living with some stranger, as he had, but even more than he had, it seemed. Dick felt pretty self sufficient himself, making him less worried than they were.

So because of that one difference of opinion, Dick, after several hundred text messages, finally decided to complete this 'conversation' with a phone call as soon as he could get out of the house. That had proved to be more than a challenge. Dick quickly realized that Wilson tended to stay up late every night and that he had an annoying habit of sitting right by the stairs and front door, too. After the second night, he eventually figured that if he was going to get out, he'd have to work on that during the day before hand. So on the third day, when Wilson slipped out of the house to do whatever (Dick didn't really care what), he had taken the opportunity to climb the fire escape outside to look at the window to his room from the outside.

His first impression was that he had been right and that the wood had grown together, but he soon found the problem. The window had been sealed from the outside. He couldn't say that he was surprised. The window didn't have any bars on it and people did take precautions in cities. Using a sharp edge of a birdarang from his utility belt (that was hidden under his long T-shirt) Dick slowly managed to cut through the sealer. It made him grateful that he had waited to do this. The seal made it impossible for anyone to break in without making a sound.

As he finally rounded the edge of the window, Dick flipped the birdarang back in place and began to shove and wiggle the window's edge. The sealer had done it's job well, getting into the crevices, but that didn't mean that Dick couldn't get it. After all, with what he could bench press, this was easy. With a slam, the window finally came free and hit the top of the window's edge. Dick bit his lip and looked around. No one. Good.

Taking out a piece of sandpaper, he quickly rubbed at the sealer and removed what he could of it. He was about to get to the top and bottom of the window when he heard a car drive up down below and the car door open and close. Dick gulped and quickly slid inside the window, shutting it quickly and throwing his belt back with his other stuff that he had shoved into the corner of his closet, hidden by empty suitcases, just as Wilson entered and began walking up the stairs.

He remembered snagging his laptop and flipping it open as he heard a knock on his door. Wilson checked in with him about dinner before leaving without a word to get back to work. Piece of cake. By the third night, Dick managed to sneak out without making a sound. He had locked his door and was pretty sure that Wilson had gone to bed by then. It had been so refreshing to get out. So liberating. He had been feeling so cooped up and to just free fall a few times from a couple skyscrapers, well, it could do a person wonders. Dick glanced over at Wilson for a moment, who was in the library. He thought back to last night and his brief escape from this place. There wasn't a single word to describe it, not a single word...

_Robin ran downtown, shooting grapples to cross sometimes a half block at a time. He'd_ _release and land on the edge of building only to leap down to the next one. Sweat dripped down his neck, but the cold air froze it before it could go too far. The ice built on him, but he was still hot, his heart beating like mad, pumping blood through his veins to give the rest of his body the energy to merge with the city. The livid skyline grew shorter as he leaped across to the southern edge of midtown. And in his ear, he could hear Raven and the others protesting._

_"Robin are you at least the slightest bit worried that Ms. Kane goes missing just weeks after_ _Bruce _**died**_?" Raven asked._

_"Of course I am, but I think it's probably related to her job, Raven," Robin told her, "She worked as security personnel. She could have known something."_

_"So you're not worried at all about this Wilson guy?" Cyborg asked._

_An alarm was blaring._

_"Hold that thought," Robin told them._

_Four men were outside, a window shattered and a door wide open when the sign clearly read 'closed'. It was so natural, so easy. They carried out items one at a time to the truck. They didn't want to leave anything behind. After all, the cash they could get for this would be priceless. On the floor, an old woman lay unconscious. The place couldn't be seen, it wasn't by any lamp post. And better yet, The Batman hadn't shown up and word was that he wasn't going to be around for a while. Working with the Justice League or something. Whatever it was, he wasn't here. And he wouldn't be stopping them._

_So when the sound of metal hitting a jaw bone was heard, no one knew what to expect. It was hard enough to see. One of them yelped loudly and suddenly another one had been smashed into the back shelves. The two remaining gulped, finally pulling guns from the holsters. But one dropped his at the sound of the laughter. Robin dropped from the ceiling, kicking out the last gun from the one guy's hand, before nailing a good punch to other's jaw. The shadows gave him power. Spinning around, he landed a kick at the other's gut, before head butting him. All four were unconscious. Robin walked over to the old woman and checked her pulse. Good, she was alive. He hadn't been too late. This time._

_Robin picked her up carefully and found a few pillows that had been for displaying jewelery. Kicking them gently to the ground, he placed her on them before walking over to the phone. 911 rang and when someone answered, he anonymously tipped them off to come down here before hanging back up. He tied up the thugs and debated leaving a note for Gordon, but decided against it. Better let them think that the Batman had done this. It would put them more at the ease they should already be at._

_"Sorry, Cyborg," Robin said, shooting out a grapple, "But no, I'm not really worried about Wilson."_

_"Why not?" Beast Boy questioned back, "And what on earth did we just hear over the T-Communicator?"_

_"I took out a couple thugs," Robin told them, "And the reason that I'm not worried is because if Ms. Kane knew something, the fact that I was there was probably irrelevant."_

_"But, Robin, could that not have been the point?" Starfire asked._

_Robin took a moment to breath in and out before answering, "No one cares about Dick Grayson, guys. The only thing he represents is the Wayne fortune at this point, and if this guy's really the elite hacker that he is, I highly doubt that would be a motive. He could just transfer the records as he pleases."_

_"What do you mean 'no one cares about Dick Grayson'?" Starfire asked back, almost sounding insulted, thought Robin couldn't figure out why._

_"Star, it's just from a motive stand point, that's all," Robin explained._

_"Well, you do well to remember that," Raven scolded him._

_"Yes, Mother," Robin answered sarcastically, "But guys, with the two murders at Wayne Tower, I'd bet anything Ms. Kane found something that she wasn't supposed to."_

_"So you're going to work on figuring that out?" Cyborg asked._

_"Pretty much," Robin told them, "In the mean time, I'll just deal with Wilson."_

_"Deal?" Beast Boy asked, "I thought you said you weren't worried about the guy."_

_"I'm not," Robin replied, "He's just really annoying. He's home like all day and he hardly ever goes out, plus he makes a habit of staying up late."_

_"Don't we all?" Raven asked, the inside joke enough to make the other three Titans find the need to stifle a hint of laughter._

_"Ha ha, very funny," Robin told them, "Look, I got to go, I'll talk to you guys when I can. I doubt that I'll be out every night."_

_"Alright, peace out, man," Cyborg said and the transmission ended._

_At least now the Titans seemed somewhat content. Or rather, Robin decided to let himself believe that. The Titans... not so much. None of them had liked Gotham very much and they could tell that the longer Robin was there, the more distant he seemed. They didn't doubt his reasonings, his conclusions, any of that. They just doubted that they wanted to let him do this on his own. Robin continued to work through out the night. He was pleased when he was able to stop several thugs that night, but otherwise, it was pretty quiet. As he rose from one fight, he felt his communicator buzz, telling him to call it a night. The steam from pipes underneath the city continued to leak out as Robin once again parted from the lights of the street lamps._

_He opted not to use the R-Cycle tonight. He didn't want to risk waking anyone in the area up either way, it would just be a waste of gas since he could be back in fifteen minutes. Actually, it took fourteen minutes, but it didn't make that much of difference. Wilson didn't come in to check on him and, after changing, Dick went straight to bed without the slightest hesitation. What he needed was a good night's sleep now. And despite the adrenaline still pumping madly through his body, he somehow managed to fall sleep._

He had slept in till about ten when he was woken to the smell of breakfast. That was another thing, Wilson didn't know the meaning of small meals. And when he had suggested having just a protein shake, Wilson almost laughed. Apparently, that was hardly good for a growing body and that nothing could replace a well rounded meal. Or whatever. Dick really wasn't paying too much attention. So, sitting on the couch in the late afternoon, he finished the game before messing it up again. He had done this about nine times thus far. And he wasn't really watching the weather channel, either. Most of the day had been quiet.

So when Wilson slammed a book shut in the opposite room loudly, Dick jumped and nearly fell off the couch. Actually he did. As he looked up from the ground, he saw Wilson coming into the room, surprised as to why Dick was now on the ground.

"Dick, you haven't gone out in three days, why don't you take a stroll?" Wilson asked.

Dick fumed, the jerk, "Because I don't want to."

"Nonsense, it's a nice day outside," Wilson told him.

Dick looked at the channel, "And it's like fifty degrees out there, I'm not going out there."

With that, Dick got up and began to walk towards the stairs. Wilson, however, wasn't finished.

"Dick, I'd like you to take a walk," Wilson said firmly.

Dick spun around, almost surprised that Wilson wasn't letting this slip, "What?"

"Do I have to repeat it a third time?" Wilson asked, "Now come on."

"I'm not taking a walk. You take a walk!" Dick told him, angrily.

But Slade wasn't going to. Instead, Wilson walked forward and Dick took a few steps backwards as Wilson continued, "Don't be ridiculous, Dick, I have to work."

For some reason, this whole walk thing was beginning to bug Dick. But as he turned to go towards the stairs, Wilson took the opportunity, to push him towards the door.

"Hey, hey! What gives! Wilson!" Dick began yelling, but before he knew it, Wilson had opened the door and he was outside, stumbling down the steps to the sidewalk.

Dick turned back to see Wilson looking back down at him, "Go on, have fun."

And with that he slammed the door shut and locked it. At that point, Dick stood there for a moment, stunned, but then the wind blew and he felt goosebumps raise over his skin. He looked down and saw his feet bare.

"Wilson!" He yelled, hugging his arms, "You jerk! I don't even have any shoes on!"

With that, Dick found his shoes, a pair of socks, and a small red jacket being tossed out the door at him. The door slammed shut and was relocked. Dick looked at the door like it was some sort of foreign object... Did Wilson just kick him out of the house? Fuming, Dick angrily grabbed the jacket and pulled on his shoes. Fine, if Wilson wanted him to take a walk, he'll take a walk. It was better than being around _him_ any day.

As Dick sulked off down the street, Wilson watched him disappear. That had been fun, for him anyway. Oh yes, he knew that Dick had been out last night. He had checked the window frame and just as he had suspected, Dick had pried it open when he had gone out. He couldn't keep Dick from going out now, save for if he kept checking in on him, which he knew he couldn't since there was no good excuse or reason. But... if he could get the kid to spend up most of his energy during the day, it would make it much less likely that Dick would go out at all. And he was sure Dick could do that.

Dick didn't see it that way. There was nothing to do out here. Their were townhouses on his left and townhouses on his right. Oh wait, no, there were apartment buildings now. What a change in scenery. There were no stores, no arcades, no restaurants; there was little see and even less to do. No one was out either. There were no cars passing by on the street, no one walking down the sidewalks. It was basically deserted. It figured too, this was a residential area and everyone was probably out working.

Dick rounded a corner when he finally heard something. Yelling from down the street, but it sounded more like a bunch of people, like there was something going on. As he passed two apartment buildings, he came to an open lot and finally saw what all the commotion was about. A group of teenagers were playing baseball in the lot and kept cheering loudly as someone made a hit. Dick went back to looking at the sidewalk, thinking that maybe now Wilson would let him back into the house.

He had almost passed the lot when he heard someone yell, "Heads Up!"

Dick heard a ball bounce off the ground and felt it hit his shoe. He bent down and picked up the ball as he saw a guy run over to him.

"Hey man, sorry 'bout that," He said, "Ellie's got a mean arm, but when she hits a foul, it's hard to get sometimes."

Dick looked over to see a girl (Ellie presumably) with blue streaks in her hair still up at bat, waving at him, "No problem. Here you go."

The guy took the ball before taking a good look at Dick, "You live around here?"

"Uh, yeah, a couple blocks that way," Dick told him, "I just moved in a few days ago."

"Oh, cool, are you going to school around here?" The guy asked.

"Um, I don't know yet," Dick answered, "Depends on how things work out."

"Alright, well, that's cool that you're going to be living around here... I'm Omar, by the way and this is my team," He told him.

"I'm Dick, nice to meet you," Dick said.

Omar tossed the ball before asking, "Hey, we're a man short out here, do you want to play?"

"Uh... sure?" Dick answered, surprised at himself.

"Great, come on, I'll introduce you to everyone, but first, do you mind throwing the ball at that kid, Sean, over there? I just want to see how good your arm is," Omar told him.

Dick shrugged and took the ball. He pulled his arm back and threw the ball straight at Sean, who caught it - barely. And afterwards, he had to take his glove off. That had hurt. Dick tensed, but Omar laughed.

"Dude, have you played before?" He asked.

"Uh, no, I just do sports, that's all," Dick said.

"Whatever you do to get that, don't stop," Omar told him as they walked over to the small row of benches.

Omar whistled and everyone listened up, "We got a new player!"

"We've got a new what?" A brown haired girl asked, walking over.

"A new player, Rain. This is Dick everyone! He's on my team today!" Omar yelled.

The two went to the benches where Omar began to explain what they were doing, "Rain and I are co-captains of the team. We generally just split the team for practice and mix it up every day. But there's other teams that we play from all over uptown, that we know from school."

"Oh," Dick said, all of this very new to him and pretty shocking at the same time.

"But yeah, today we've got Spencer, Carry, Ellie, Patrick, Daniel, Mina, Nomin, and you," Omar told him.

"Spencer and Ellie are out on the field right now, and that's Mina up at bat. Carry's up next," Omar explained, "I gotta go talk to Patrick, but yeah, feel free to sit wherever and watch."

Dick nodded as Omar went over to Patrick. Looking around, Dick took a spot to the left of a guy that he thought was Daniel. Dick gripped his hands and watched. What was he doing? He barely knew anything about baseball. He didn't even know these people. But at least it was something to do. Dick sighed as he heard the crack of wood against the ball. Carry ran off to first while Spencer and Ellie ran right to home. Spencer went over to talk to Daniel while Ellie walked over to her backpack nearby him.

She grabbed her cap and put it on backwards before turning to him, "Hi, I'm Ellie. Sorry about the stray ball; it happens sometimes, so are you new here? Where'd you move from? Japan, Canada, Europe? Do you like baseball?"

Dick sat there, trying to remember all of her questions and when he finally managed, he answered, "Uh, I lived in California, but I moved back home recently. I, actually have never played baseball before."

Ellie was in mid-stretch when she stopped and looked at him, "You've _never_ played baseball before? Where'd you get that arm then?"

"Uh... I did gymnastics," Dick told her.

"Oh cool!" She said, "Well, baseball's not hard, it's just throwing a ball around."

"I wouldn't say that!" Ellie looked up to see a younger teen come forward with a broken arm, "It's a matter of trajectory, skill, as well as speed. Those one the field are trying to get..."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it Ryan," Ellie interrupted, "He's been our water boy since he broke his arm, but he acts more like an adviser to Omar. Gosh, I want to stab that kid."

"You want to stab everyone," Spencer commented a few feet away.

"Well, what can I say, I'm handy with a knife," Ellie replied.

Ellie sat down and pulled her backpack front and center. Spencer came around to grab a water bottle from Ryan. Dick watched as she unzipped the rest of the bag. His eyes widened as he saw how much stuff she had actually managed to cram into that thing. Several baseball bats were still rammed in there along with a lot of other random stuff. Finally she got to the bottom and pulled out two gloves.

"Hey Omar!" She called, "What's he playing as?"

"Outfield for now," Omar called back

Spencer took Dick's hand and measured it, "Man, do you think he can even fit the outfielder's glove?"

"Nope," Ellie said, "Here you go."

She handed him a glove, the difference not apparent to Dick, but he took it anyway as he heard Rain whistle and saw everyone coming in. Ryan started handing out water bottles while people started talking. It was obvious to Dick that even though they split up for every game, they were all good friends. It reminded him of the Titans.

"Hey, here you go," Ryan said, handing him a water bottle.

"Oh, thanks," Dick said.

The bottle was cold, but since Dick hadn't been running around he was still freezing. A couple people came over to talk to Ellie while Spencer and Daniel moved to talk to another kid who had been playing in the outfield. That's when the other co-captain, Rain, came over to him.

"So, Dick, to what extent have you played baseball?" She asked.

And once again, he repeated, "None, really. I mean, I've watched it before and I know the basics of it, but I've never played it. "

"Oh, alright, cool. And don't worry, next time, I'll pick you to be on my team," She assured him.

Dick looked over and saw Omar coming their way, "The only reason I'm letting you have him next time is because he's new."

"Omar, we both need to know all of our teammates strengths and weaknesss," Rain argued.

"Yeah, and we've got to choose players based off of how much of a challenge they'll give the other player," Omar said back.

They began to argue with one another, but most people went on as normal. So that left Dick to assume that it was. As he watched, a shadow came up to cover him and he looked up at it's owner.

"Dick, right?" The guy said, who he recognized as the one he had thrown the ball to.

Dick stood up and held out a hand, "Yeah, just moved here."

The kid took it quickly, but continued, "I'm Sean, but don't worry, I'll take it easy on you."

"Oh, whatever, Omar! Come on, guys, break's over!" Rain yelled.

To his surprise, Dick didn't hear anyone complaining. The teams switched sides and Dick found himself being directed to the outfield to the right, near the street, by Omar. Putting on the glove, Dick saw Ellie on third base. She pounded on the base until she caught site of Dick and waved at him madly.

"Good luck, Dick!" She called.

Dick nodded, a little uneasily, and saw they were about to start. The guy tapped the bat against the plate and waited as Omar threw the pitch. At the second strike the guy struck the ball towards the center of the field and ran to first, where he landed safe.

"Nice job, Kevin!" Rain yelled.

Sean was up next. He looked confident, sort of cocky. But Dick guessed that he should be as everyone else was watching him and tensing. He had to be a good player and Sean knew it. Omar took a breath and threw the pitch again. With another crack, the ball went flying, heading right over their heads and towards Dick. Dick felt his heart race again. He ran towards the ball and leaped up to catch it when he felt the ball snugly land in his glove.

Dick opened his eyes and looked around as he landed. Sean, almost at first, looked at Dick in shock while the rest of his team started cheering. Spencer and Daniel whistled, while Ellie looked like she was having some sort of convulsion. Meanwhile, Omar clapped a few times and hollered.

"Now that's how it's done!" He yelled.

Dick slowly smiled and threw the ball back to Omar. Their first out. And that had been, well, kind of fun. They kept playing and before Dick realized it, it was dark outside and they were playing by the street light and their own flashlights. They just kept playing and playing, Ryan making several water trips back to his house to refill the multiple water bottles. At the end, they had a pretty even game, but Omar's team came out slightly in the lead. The players grabbed their things and parted ways, most heading off in small groups in opposite directions. When asked, Dick had shrugged and said he'd be glad to come the next day.

He grabbed his jacket, which he had tossed aside after two innings, and headed back to Wilson's. If it hadn't been for the fact that Dick had practically memorized a map of Gotham, he might have gotten lost for the dark and generic look of the streets. As he got to the steps, he sighed, and decided he might as well see if that was a long enough walk. He knocked on the door and after a moment, Wilson came to the door.

"Was that long enough?" Dick asked.

Wilson chuckled, "I suppose."

Dick walked inside and kicked off his shoes, which were covered in dirt. Wilson shut the door and watched as Dick slumped inside and headed for the kitchen counter. Following the teen inside, Slade leaned against the opposite counter as Dick grabbed a glass and pulled out a bottle of orange juice.

"Might I ask where you were?" He asked.

Dick poured himself a glass and looked over, "I, there was baseball team, and they were short a player."

"Ah, they play in an open lot near by?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah," Dick said, "Just a few blocks away."

"You have fun?" Wilson asked, grabbing a glass himself.

"I guess, yeah," Dick said, shrugging, "It was different, you know."

Wilson nodded. He swished the contents of his glass around, not really intent on drinking it. He wasn't thirsty. Dick, however, drank in large gulps, still slightly out of breath. Wilson was also pleased to see that Dick had worked up a sweat and he could still see significant heaves in the boy's chest as he breathed. Dick would hardly be productive tonight.

"Well, it was good that you went out," Slade said.

Dick looked over at him, slightly annoyed, "Like I had much of a choice."

"It was better than sitting in the house all day," Wilson told him.

Dick couldn't really argue with that, so he decided to shut his mouth... for now. He finished the orange juice and went straight for his room.

"Take a shower, you're filthy," Wilson called up to him.

Dick didn't care to comment, but either way, Slade didn't much care. After tossing his glass, Slade sat down in the front room. All he heard for the rest of the night, was the sound of water running once and footsteps from and to Dick's room. Around twelve, he went up to check on Dick who, as he had suspected, had practically passed out on his bed. He stayed up till about three that night, just to be sure, before going to bed himself to get one or two hours of sleep. He had to admit, he was satisfied with the outcome. While he hadn't particularly been counting on the boy finding a baseball team to play on, he couldn't complain about it. If this kept up, Slade could see a pattern of Robin's absence. Good.

That was all good.

-T-

The long cave entrance was dark and cold, colder than normal. It was also a little damp. It had rained the past few days and had left the air muggy and the sky dark. He walked down, though, like he did every time. However he did have some difficulty, considering the pathway had been destroyed since Blackfire's... intrusion. Upon entering the hollow and tall room at the bottom, Beast Boy paused, but didn't look around much. He knew he'd just get angry if he did.

He walked up to the centerpiece of the room, the statue, her. He bit his lip and looked up at the stone image. It bothered him that it never moved. Mostly, because at one time, Terra had moved. The shimmering silver figure seemed so much more like a piece of rock than a monument, a person. It made him sad that she stood there frozen without relief. She had been able to animate the earth, but now she was bound to it. The silence unnerved him, so he often just talked to her, told her what was going on.

"Hey," He said, "Um, I'm sorry I haven't visited lately."

The rock said nothing, so he continued, "I was in Gotham City, with the others... Man, a lot's been going on."

He watched her and then said, "I, uh, I brought your favorites. The yellow daylilies."

He bent down and placed the bouquet of flowers on the monument, "Robin, he, um, Batman's... gone now. Everyone's taking it pretty hard."

"I didn't know him too well, but Robin's going nuts or something. He's barely talking to us anymore," He continued, "I guess I get why. I mean, I took it hard when you... yeah. Starfire's also having a hard time, since he's not talking. No one's talking really, come to think of it."

"No one?" Beast Boy spun around to see Raven walking in, "You are."

Beast Boy looked down, "Well, what are we supposed to do? Sit around and wait for Robin to call us?"

She was quiet when Beast Boy finally continued, "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Didn't know where you were," Raven said.

"What, are you guys my babysitters?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven frowned, but pulled her hood down, "It's a mess down here."

"So, what?" Beast Boy said.

Raven pursed her lips, but said nothing and instead held out her hand, which glowed in an aura. Beast Boy watched as Raven moved the debris into the canyon and smoothed the ground. When she was done, she walked up to the statue. They stood there for a few minutes, just staring at Terra's statue. But finally, the silence took in and Beast Boy looked away.

"It was so easy to talk to her, Rae," He muttered.

Raven gave a small nod, "I can see that... I'm sorry about the Titans. I'm... frustrated too."

"You are?" Beast Boy asked.

"We all are," Raven said, "I know how you feel."

Beast Boy eyed her, not knowing where she was going with this, "Starfire's so worried and Cyborg's overwhelmed with leading the team. And..."

He watched as Raven bent her head down, "We're all not sure as to what is going to happen either..."

"What are you saying, Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven closed her eyes for a moment, as though to breathe, "I don't know what's going on with Robin or Gotham or any of this. But the Titans... we've got to be ready."

"Raven?" Beast Boy questioned, "Have you been seeing something?"

Raven thought it out for a second before answering, "I'm just... when we were in Gotham, I felt like, like the evil there... It's so overwhelming... It's not like Jump City where we can easily vanquish it. It's rooted in the ground..."

"You think Robin's going to be okay?" Beast Boy asked.

"If I did, I wouldn't still be thinking about it," Raven said, "And I don't think any of us would be either."

Beast Boy took a step back, rocking on his feet, unsure as to what to say, "Well, at least we know it's not the Joker or Two-Face, right?"

Raven glanced over at him surprised by the humorous comment, "Why the sudden change in tone?"

Beast Boy shrugged, "You're just... good at talking."

Raven rolled her eyes, "Sure I am."

They heard the loud pounding of metal against solid rock and turned to see Cyborg coming in.

"Guys!" He yelled.

"Hey Cyborg," Raven said.

"We've got a problem," Cyborg told them.

"What problem?" Beast Boy asked.

"Remember the hacker, from way back when?" Cyborg told them, motioning for them to follow.

"Yeah, so what about it?" Beast Boy asked, seeing the obvious irritation in Cyborg's face.

Cyborg marched them right up to the T-Car, "They copied my files."

"They what?" Raven asked.

"They copied my files," Cyborg repeated, "I don't know which one they wanted, but whatever they took, we've got to provide a total reboot."

"Does that include..." Raven started.

"Yeah, the Tower, I know," Cyborg answered, "That means no electricity for maybe a few days."

"WHAT?!" Beast Boy yelled.

"Yeah, I know, it bites," Cyborg said, "But unless we want another major break in, we can't risk it."

"Who would want your files?" Raven interjected.

"I'd say Brother Blood, but he's already got the basics of how my systems work. Besides, he's in Steel City. Ways a way from Gotham," Cyborg said.

"Hey, what about that guy a few months back?" Beast Boy asked, "Eastwood or something?"

Raven and Cyborg glanced at each other and Raven answered, "I'll check into Westfield, but I don't see any connection between him and Gotham."

"We can ask Robin when our systems get back online," Cyborg said, "Actually, that whole process will probably have to wait until Titans Tower gets back online."

"So... what you're saying is that we're going without any electricity, working day in and day out to get the tower up and running, and we've got to protect the Tower itself?" Beast Boy asked.

"Basically, yes," Cyborg answered.

If it was possible, Beast Boy got greener, "This is so not fair."

"Well, it could be worse..." Cyborg shrugged.

"How?" Beast Boy snapped.

Cyborg thought and answered, "Well, Red X could be here."

"True," Beast Boy said, nodding.

"You've told Starfire about this?" Raven asked.

"Yep, she seemed fine with it," Cyborg said.

Raven continued, "What about Robin?"

"I left him a message; you know how he is right now," Cyborg told her.

"All too well," Raven said, still irritated about the all too annoying phone conversations.

"We're just gonna have to sit and deal with it," Cyborg said.

They got to the car and started to drive back to the tower. With all that was happening, this was just another headache for them all. And Robin was probably going to go ballistic on them when he found out - something none of them were very excited about. Within hours, the Tower had begun it's reboot. The electronics off, the lights down, the security systems offline. Titans Tower had shut down its presence from the rest of the world. Off the radar. Gone.

It made Slade smile.

-T-

**A/N:** So how was that? I'm so super sorry for the late update. I was having a bit of writer's block. That seems to be a sad pattern for me these days. Please review! I hope you didn't want to kill the baseball gang of OCs or anything. I'll be using them for maybe two or three more chapters, I think. But really, I want them to be people you can relate to, so if you have any suggestions, let me know! I hope you liked the chapter. I'll try updating sooner, I promise. Keep smiling!

Rena


	25. Chapter 25: National Past Time

**Disclaimer:** _'Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd, buy me some...'_ Oh, wait a minute, you're waiting for me to tell you all that I don't own Teen Titans, DC comics, any songs, or anything type of comic or cartoon, right? Well here you go: I don't own them. Now.. _'buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't care if I ever get back...!'_

**Author's Note:** I somehow managed to work on this chapter. Like literally, I think my time has officially been booked till December now that school's started. It's a curse, I tell you, a curse!! It probably doesn't help that I've been doodling more than taking notes, lol. Alright, so that's not quite true, but yeah, school's definitely started. Oh the pain... ah well, but the chapter is done and thank goodness for that, considering that I think I'm getting close to writer's block again. I think you'll enjoy this chapter though, lots of funny bits in it that are thanks to a few of my friends as we talked about the story over lunch and after school. I suppose school does have some benefits, lol. But anyway, I'll stop talking so you can read this: "Chapter Twenty Five: National Past Time"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty Five: National Past Time**

As December pushed its way into Gotham's city limits, the air grew colder, thinner, and above all, more desolate. The wind whistled, brushed over the rooftops and begged people to bring their pets inside at night. That's why the streets were empty in the suburbs. In the rows of houses, windows glowed as families ate dinner or decorated for the holidays. It was hard to image that only a week or so ago, the same street had been filled with cops lined up, their lights blaring into their homes. One house, the dark one tonight, was their focus.

The house had been taped off. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Picking the back door's lock, he went inside. Already it was getting dusty. He went into the living area. Nothing seemed out of place, so he went to the rooms above. He opened the first bedroom, where one bed was unused and the other was still messy. He passed it without much interest, but he could swear that something smelled... odd. He's come back. He walked down to the master bedroom, where the scene was taped off. He slid under and looked around, again, nothing out of the ordinary.

He walked downstairs, towards the kitchen, which seemed ordinary enough. It was beginning to bother him. The last place, her office. He went inside and looked around. It was untouched so far. Maybe that's why seeing two bullets on the desk bothered him. He turned to go, when he saw a picture of a family. A torn corner stood where a husband should have. His face became stern.

He left the room and worked for about half an hour before leaving the way he came. He looked back once, the house still cold and void of life. The wind rustled and he spun his head around towards the back woods. He eyed the area carefully. It put him on edge, but he looked back at the house despite it. Whatever was going on here, he didn't like it. And he would get to the bottom of it no matter what.

-T-

"Got fresh water!" Ryan called.

In an instant, the entire baseball team had dropped what they were doing and ran over to the sidelines to grab a drink. Dick was tempted to just throw it on himself, but he knew that he'd be freezing cold afterwards if he did that. Omar and Rain impatiently waited while the others finished.

"Guys, come on, we've only got a few hours of sunlight left!" Rain said, tapping her foot.

Sean spun around and answered, "We've been playing for two hours straight! Give us a break!"

Rain rolled her eyes, while Omar announced, "Fine, twenty minutes."

Sean smiled smugly and took a long gulp of water. Dick let himself catch his breath. For the past week or so, every day around three, he had left the house to meet up with the others. It was a nice escape from the awkward situation that Wilson provided. He was so quiet that when he said anything, it made him jump. And he always said something when Dick didn't even realize he was in the room.

Oddly enough, baseball was fun. He worked up a sweat, and the guys were great. Daniel had been helping him learn some techniques for where to aim the ball while Sean had decided to make Dick his new opponent. They were hardly ever on the same team, but after the first few days, Sean had actually grown to respect him a little more than he did others.

He saw Kevin follow Ellie over to the bench, where she pulled out her over-stuffed bag. Deciding that Nomin and Mina's conversation about how to keep their nails clean didn't really interest him, he walked over to join Ellie and Kevin's conversation.

"Hey guys!" He said, as they had been playing on opposite teams today.

"Hey Dick, man, you're killing us out there," Kevin said.

"Tell Sean that. He'd never agree with that," Dick said, laughing, "So what're you talking about?"

"She's trying to convince me that being invisible is better than being able to fly," Kevin told him.

"Well, it is! If you're invisible, you're like, able to be the greatest stalker in the world!" Ellie exclaimed.

Dick might have been worried the first day he met Ellie, but after this week, he had slowly started realizing that none of these guys were all that sane, anyway. Ellie started pulling out all of her stuff from her bag. A beat up notebook, an MP3 player, a deck box, a bent picture of a rainbow and a unicorn, a Gameboy, a Japanese comic, and lastly, her baseball mitt.

"What all do you keep in there, anyway?" Dick asked her.

"Oh, you know, sharp things to stab people with," Ellie related to him happily.

Kevin picked up the deck box and asked sarcastically, "So then, Ellie, since you enjoy killing people so much, who's the best super villain out there?"

"Well, that depends, when you say 'best', do you mean that they're the best because no one has to worry about them or that they're the best because they do their job well?" Ellie asked back.

"They're good at their job," Kevin clarified, tossing the deck box back to her.

In an instant, Ellie answered, "The Joker. He uses knifes. And he's insane. And he's a maniac."

Omar came over and joined the conversation, "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Two Face is the way to go. That guy's a freak with that coin of his."

"Yeah, but with him there's a fifty fifty chance that he'll let you live," Ellie explained, "With the Joker you're just about dead ninety nine percent of the time."

Kevin pulled his backpack over to the side and began rummaging around through it as well, "Please tell me you're not planning on becoming the next Harley Quinn, Ellie."

Ellie shook her head very quickly, "Oh, no way, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that freak! Well, I'd like to take a picture, but then I think I'd start running for my life. What about you, Dick? What's the worst Super villain in your book?"

That was easy, "Slade."

They looked at him oddly and Omar said what they were all thinking, "Who?"

Dick then realized the issue, "Oh, he's on the west coast. Back in California he'd wreak havoc."

"Oh, what was his gimmick?" Kevin asked, as he found his own deck box in his much less stuffed bag.

"He didn't have one, come to think of it," Dick answered slowly, "He has only one eye, though."

"How lame," Ellie asked, "Then again, most villains have pretty lame get ups."

Kevin nodded and continued the conversation, "Well then, who do you think is the greatest superhero of all time?"

"Oh, probably Batman, I mean, who doesn't love Batman?" Ellie answered.

"Really, not Superman?" Kevin asked, as he and Ellie started up their card game.

Omar answered for her, "Well, why not Batman? He's from our hometown."

"See!" Ellie said, but then after a moment, added with a dreamy tone, "Well, actually, I really like Robin, too. I'd just love to see his eyes."

Dick felt himself blush and look away. So that's what girls wondered...

"I bet they're green," Ellie said, "That or brown."

Nomin came into the conversation now, "Oh Robin? You know, I heard he's dating Starfire."

Mina followed her friend in, "Of course he isn't! He's dating BumbleBee."

"Where did you hear that?" Kevin asked.

"Well, duh, from Teen Scene Magazine," Mina answered.

Dick resisted the urge to start laughing as Sean followed the girls in as well, "Robin's not that great. Now the Flash, that's a cool superhero."

"All he does is run really fast," Omar said.

"Well, what do you want him to do?" Sean asked, "Shoot webs from his hands and swing around Keystone or Central City?"

"No, but I bet Superman could beat him in a race," Daniel smirked.

Dick watched as at least half the team seemed to flood over to them as Kevin continued, "I'd have to agree, don't you Spence?"

"Actually, I don't, but Superman can shoot lasers from his eyes, meaning he could knock the Flash out before he got to the end of the race," Spencer said.

"Yeah, unless Superman's somehow super-stopped by some stupid glowing green rock," Omar remarked.

"Exactly," Sean said, "Gosh, the guy's so perfect. Some time's I wish he'd just go out and die."

Dick looked over in horror as Kevin argued, "You're almost as violent as Ellie!"

"Well, I'm being honest!" Sean said back, "I bet Batman could take Superman out in a second's notice."

"Sure he could," Kevin remarked sarcastically.

"Look, if we're talking about how capable Batman is, I think you're strongly overdoing it, Sean," said Rain.

"Why?" Ellie asked, playing another card.

"Well, obviously, because the guy's human, right?" Sean said.

"Are you sure about that?" Nomin asked.

"Positive," Rain answered.

"Yeah, the guy's not that great," Sean remarked.

"Oh yeah, sure. I bet you could just shoot him a couple times and then burn him while you're at it and then he'd be out for good," Omar said sarcastically almost laughing at the idea, making Dick feel like he was going to lose the contents of his stomach.

"Well, where was he when Bruce Wayne needed his help?" Rain argued, "Huh? No where. Superman came and bailed them out."

Dick felt sick as he said it, "Maybe, maybe he was preoccupied."

Rain rolled her eyes, "More like he was out failing at life!"

Dick winced as Kevin replied back, "Oh lay off! That guy's saved our butts probably more times than we know. Remember the Holiday killer? Or when Joker tried to fill our air with his Joker gas? Or when Poison Ivy tried to turn Gotham into a literal greenhouse?"

"She would've failed anyway, we're too polluted to be saved from it," Sean muttered.

"I agree with Kevin," Megan said, "He saved my Mom from Two Face when she was at the office once! The guy's a hero no matter what you guys say."

"Thank you!" Kevin said, and then he looked at the card field, "Hey wait a minute, when did you get that second Dragon on the field?"

Ellie laughed maniacally as Omar continued, "Megan's right. Any superhero's got an A in my book... by the way, Dick, you need to start aiming away from the first baseman."

Dick gaped when Kevin continued, "Yeah, superheroes... they sure make the world a better place... but what if they didn't exist?

Carry looked at Kevin like he was crazy, "Like, what if there was a whole world without them?"

"Yeah, wouldn't that be weird?" Kevin said, "Who'd take down the bad guys?"

The team was quiet for a second before Patrick added in, "Well... there's always the police."

"Oh dude," Megan said, "We'd all be doomed to anarchy!"

Ellie added, "While that might be fun for the first day, I agree, the bad guys would never be captured and the world would fall apart!"

Dick smirked, "I couldn't agree with you more."

Ellie high fived Dick before telling Kevin, "You're dead."

"Why?"

Ellie flashed another card his way and Kevin went pale, "Oh come on!"

Ellie played the card and answered, "Well, if such a world were to ever exist, I suppose the logical thing to do is travel between dimensions ourselves and become superheroes for them!"

"Oh yeah?" Kevin asked, "And what would you call yourself Ellie?"

"Kaibagirl!" Ellie exclaimed, pulling out a polymerization card, to combine three of her cards.

"What?" Kevin said.

"I win!" Ellie yelled, enthusiastically, Dick being totally lost at this point.

Kevin wrinkled his nose as he groaned, "Oh man... Why did I ever give away that anti-fusion card..."

"Well good," Omar said, "Break's over."

Kevin and Ellie began to pick up their game and got to their places while Dick lined up behind Daniel to bat when Rain made a quick announcement.

"Hey guys! We're playing Brian and Jacob's team next week, and, since Jacob's a moron, he bet that if their team lost, they'd pay up for tickets to the Gotham Goliaths!" Rain yelled.

"Seriously?" Megan asked.

"Man, that rocks!" Daniel added.

"But..." Rain added, "Uh, if we loose, we gotta pay for them to go."

"What?" Omar answered, "And you agreed to this, Rain? You're the logical one here!"

"Well, we do have Sean and Dick on our team, we have a pretty good chance of winning," Rain told him.

"We're staying after another hour for the next week then," Omar said, almost in a growl.

The team groaned, but Rain interrupted, "Come on, guys, this is the Gotham Goliaths! They're facing the Metropolis Monarchs and it's going to be the game of the year! We've got to go! We can win!"

Sean rolled his eyes, "I suppose, I mean, it's not like I can possibly lose."

"Unless you're up against Dick," Spencer smirked.

"Shut it," Sean said.

The team kept playing, the idea of seeing Gotham's major league baseball team playing motivating them at times and at others, making them already feel broke. The game kept going, despite the cold. They were nearly the only ones outside. Everyone else was inside their warm homes and the streets were desolate. Well, except for one person.

Clark looked at the address on the sheet of paper. This was it. He was sure of it, at least, he hoped he was. Kent knocked again and inside, Slade turned to the door. He hoped it wasn't solicitors. Going to the window, he glanced outside to see a man with dark hair, slouching and adjusting his glasses. Slade narrowed his eyes and went to the door.

Opening the door, Slade asked, "Hello, can I help you?"

Clark looked at Slade in surprise. He was taller then him. Or at least, he appeared to be. If he wasn't slouching, they could be the same height. He adjusted his necktie and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Wilson, I presume?" Clark asked kindly, holding out a hand.

"Yes?" Slade asked, not about to return the gesture.

"I, my name is Clark Kent. I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet and I knew Wayne and his ward. Is Dick home?" Clark inquired.

Slade eyed Clark subtly and answered, "No, he's not. He's out."

"Oh," Clark said, "Well, is he going to be home anytime soon?"

Slade repressed a sigh of aggravation, "I wouldn't know, he's playing a baseball game with some of the neighborhood kids."

Clark nodded, "That, that's good, so, he's doing alright then?"

"I would say so," Slade said coolly.

"That's good. He's been taking a lot of hits lately, hasn't he?" Clark said, trying to make friendly conversation, but feeling like he was failing.

"If that's not obvious," Slade said.

"Uh, do you think I could wait for him here? I won't be a bother," Clark said.

"Do you really want to wait on the porch steps?" Slade asked, biting sarcasm in his tone, "I'm kidding of course, come on in."

Slade stood aside to let Clark in, "Feel free to hang up your coat."

Slade walked into the kitchen while Clark took off his jacket and looked around. It was a normal enough setting. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

"Want something to drink, Mr. Kent?" Slade asked.

"I'm good, thank you," Clark answered.

"Suit yourself," Slade said.

He came back and gestured to the front room, where they both took a seat, "Now, what was it you said you did again, Mr. Kent?"

Clark clapped his hands together and answered truthfully, "I work at the Daily Planet as a reporter out in Metropolis."

"Metropolis?" Slade asked, "That's a ways away to come for a visit."

As Slade got up to get a book from one of the shelves, Clark replied, "Not really, it's a relatively short trip when you're used to it. And it's worth it to see how Dick's doing. He's like a nephew."

Nephew? Short trip? Metropolis? Slade glanced over at looked past the rims of Clark's glasses. Those eyes... they were a perfect crystal blue, like he had heard... Slade held his tongue for a moment as he glanced over towards the stairs. Great, just great. What luck... what...

"So, is Dick still rattled or anything? He's not too tired or anything?" Clark asked.

"Why would he be tired?" Wilson asked, sharply, catching Clark's attention.

"Uh, well, sometimes people can't sleep after traumatic events like that," Clark said, "And Dick hasn't always had the best luck when it comes to sleeping in the first place."

"Mr. Kent, how did you end up meeting Dick in the first place?" Slade asked quickly interrupting him.

"Huh?" Clark asked, caught off guard, "How did I meet him? I, I met him through Wayne."

"You and Wayne were good friends?" Slade asked.

"I'd say so," Clark said, now getting cold himself.

Slade turned back to Clark and eyed him, "You were at the funeral?"

"Yes," Clark said, defensively, but realizing he wasn't leaving a great impression on Wilson, "I helped Mr. Pennyworth organize it."

"Ah, yes, their butler. He seems like a decent man," Slade commented.

"He is," Clark firmly stated.

They eyed each other for a moment. Slade did not want the Man of Steel in his house. He didn't want him anywhere near Dick. It would just spell out trouble and he wasn't about to deal with that after all of this. Not when he was so close.

"I see," Slade said, "And you?"

Clark raised a brow, but answered cautiously, "I'd hope so."

He didn't know what kind of game Wilson was playing at, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the baseball gang finished their game. Rain's team had won, but because it had taken so long, they had decided to skip going to a local shop (local being used extremely loosely there) and decided to head home instead. Dick gave a wave goodbye and started walking home, taking the glove he was borrowing from Ellie and putting on his jacket as he went.

Dick walked a block or so before he noticed the sound of footsteps behind him. As he stopped, Dick nearly fell over as he turned and saw Ellie glancing over his shoulder.

"Hi Dick!" She said, as Dick caught himself from falling over.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?" He asked, "Have you been following me this whole time?"

"Or have I?" Ellie asked.

"What?" Dick replied.

"In a world where The Lion King reigns supreme and the fate of humanity is decided by the outcome of a card game, maybe it is YOU who is following ME," Ellie said, smiling happily and forging ahead.

Dick stopped in his tracks as he watched her continue farther down the street, "... That doesn't make any kind of sense."

"I never make sense, Dick. But yes, I was following you. I need to know where you live, you see, I know where everyone on our team lives, so that I can stalk them when necessary," Ellie said.

"You're one weird kid, you know that?" Dick said.

"Oh, like anyone's normal," Ellie said, brushing it off, "So where do you live, anyways?"

"Uh," Dick contemplated for a moment as to whether or not he was comfortable with letting Ellie know where he lived, but then he realized that she'd find out no matter what he did, "It's just about a half mile walk."

"Oh, that's not that bad," Ellie said, swinging her backpack over her other shoulder, when she glanced down at his glove, "Say, do you need a bat?"

"A what?" Dick asked, immediately thinking of the annoying little pets up in the Batcave.

"A baseball bat, you silly," She said.

"Oh, well, no, I'm good using a team bat," Dick said, as he kept walking.

"Alright then," Ellie said, "So, you like living in Gotham?"

"Well, I guess so, I sort of miss my friends back in California, but I still call them so I'm pretty good," Dick said.

"You lived here before right?" She asked.

"On the outskirts I did," Dick said, "But I know the city well enough."

Ellie kicked a rock, "So why did you live out in California?"

"I went to a private school out there," Dick told her.

Ellie shivered, "Gah, I hate private schools. I had to go to private school for elementary and middle school. Mom gave up by high school, though, and thank goodness for that!"

"No kidding," Dick said, thinking back to when he actually did go to a private school back in middle school. It hadn't been fun at all, "But yeah, I got called back, so here I am.

"Well sweetness!" Ellie said, "I think we're all happy about that. You've really upped our team's spirits with that arm, you know that? It's like you're a good luck charm!"

Dick rolled his eyes. He didn't see how that was possible, but he let it pass. They walked around the corner and were within sight of the town house when "I'm Back" started to ring out from Ellie's back pocket. Picking up her phone, Ellie didn't get a chance to answer before she started getting yelled at over the phone.

_"ELLIE!! IF YOU STALKED THAT KID HOME I'M GONNA...!!"_ Omar yelled over the line, Ellie keeping the phone at arm's length.

"Oh you silly person, you knew that I'd do this..." She began.

But only a couple houses away, the tension was mounting to a much greater level. Inside the townhouse, Clark held his breath for a moment, waiting for Wilson to continue.

Slade nodded, "Listen, Mr. Kent..."

Clark stood up, acting on the instinct to stand up at his full height. They were now at eye level now as Slade walked over.

"I'm a private man. I know that doesn't always go looked upon favorably. I apologize for that; it's just my preference," Slade said, choosing his words carefully, "But I do not like it when my abilities and my capability at maintaining my responsibilities are challenged."

"I didn't mean to..." Clark said.

"But you don't trust me," Slade said.

Clark held his tongue, but answered, "You haven't given me much reason to."

"Well, how about this. I've served honorably for the US Army and I've lived as a respectable member of every community I've lived in," Slade told him.

Clark squinted his eyes. He didn't like where this was going, "Mr. Wilson, I am only here because of..."

"Because of Dick, you've made that point clear," Slade said, walking towards the hallway, "And as I've told you, I've been taking care of him to the best of my ability, which I think Gotham's City Council would find satisfactory."

Clark kept silent for a moment, before walking over to the doorway, "I'm sorry if I offended you Mr. Wilson. I suppose I'll just see Dick another time."

Slade nodded and opened the door. If only the timing hadn't been so bitterly perfect. As Clark looked out, Dick was at the bottom step talking to a friend. Dick looked up and his face filled with excitement. A shame.

"Clark!" He yelled, and jumped up the seven steps to give Clark a hug, "How's it been? What, what are you doing here?"

"Well, what else?" Clark answered, "Visiting you and doing some business work."

Slade eyed Clark as Dick suddenly realized Ellie standing in the background, "Oh, Clark, this is Ellie. We play on the same baseball team."

Clark smiled and shook Ellie's hand, "Nice to meet you Ellie."

"Cool to meet you too, Mr..." Ellie started.

"Mr. Kent," Clark told her.

"Wait, the, Clark Kent?" Ellie asked, "You work for the Daily Planet! With Lois Lane! Dude, I so want to work there one day!"

"I'll recommend you when you get there," Clark replied.

"Are you leaving already?" Dick asked, seeing Clark had gotten his things.

Clark looked back up at Wilson before looking back at Dick, "Um, I do have a flight to catch, Dick, but I'll visit again soon, if that's alright with Mr. Wilson..."

Slade cleared his throat and answered, "Of course, any time. Though I do go on trips on occasion."

Clark shook Slade's hand, each noticing the other's strong grip, their eyes narrowing.

Dick nodded as Clark turned back and replied, "Well, thanks for the visit anyway. I'm sorry that I was out."

"It's no problem," Clark said, walking past Dick and down to the sidewalk, "Take care, Dick."

"I will," Dick said.

Clark gave one last smile before looking back up towards Wilson. He turned quickly and walked off as Dick watched. Ellie stood at the bottom of the steps, rocking back on her heals when she finally couldn't stand the silence.

"So you're Wilson, er, Mr. Wilson?" She asked, suddenly feeling the need to be respectful.

Slade looked down at her as Dick was knocked out of his trance and answered, "Uh, yeah, Ellie, Mr. Wilson, Wilson, Ellie."

"A pleasure," Slade said, before switching his attention to Dick, "Dick, you haven't had anything to eat yet, have you?"

"Nope, just water," Dick said.

"Alright, then come inside and I'll get dinner ready," Slade said, "Nice meeting you Ellie."

"You too...?" Ellie said, before tapping Dick on the shoulder as Wilson went in the house, "Dude, is he your dad or something?"

"Oh, no," Dick explained, "He's my guardian."

"Oh..." Ellie trailed off, "Creepy..."

"Why do you say that?" Dick asked, confused.

"He kinda seems like one of those sketchy stalkers you'd find hiding out in your bathroom working for the Joker or something," Ellie whispered.

Dick didn't really get a chance to respond before Wilson called him in, "Come on in, Dick!"

"Ellie, I think you think everyone is a stalker," Dick said and Ellie shrugged as he went to the door, "See you tomorrow, then, Ellie."

"Alright, see you tomor..." Ellie looked at her phone, which had started ringing again. She read the text and looked up, "Apparently, Rain says to get to practice early if we can."

"Okay, see ya," Dick said.

"Bye!" Ellie replied and ran home.

Dick shut the door as the temperature dropped a few degrees. After kicking off his mud caked shoes, Dick walked up to his room and sat down on the floor. He took a breath and sighed, looking at the closet. He really should go out tonight. He hadn't in a while, but... Dick yawned. How could he? He'd get himself killed he was so tired from playing all day... But he couldn't quit now. Ryan wasn't getting his cast off for at least two more weeks and he'd never be ready for the big game even if he got it off early.

He'd play just until Ryan got his cast off. Then he'd back off a bit. He had to. It's just the way it had to be. He was having fun, though. Why should he? He was shirking his duty, no, not duty. He wasn't shirking that. He was shying away from his instinct. And yet, was it a bad thing? No, no. After the past month, why couldn't he be happy for once? For just a little bit? He just had to balance it. Like Clark had said...

"Dick!" Wilson called.

Dick looked at the door and ran downstairs to see what was up. It turned out that dinner was ready. As Dick sat down, a few blocks away, Clark took off his glasses and took off the facade. Flying up and into downtown Gotham, Clark took an automatic dive upwards, towards the stars. He left the atmospheres and left Earth and soon he could see the many satellites orbiting the planet. He found what he was looking for and headed for an entry way. Upon landing inside the JLA tower, Superman went for the main control room, where he saw J'onn standing.

"Superman," J'onn said as he saw his colleague's expression, "What's wrong?"

"Get me Wonder Woman, Manhunter," Superman said.

J'onn nodded and connected Superman to the island of Themyscira. They waited only a few moments before being answered by Artemis, "What is it?"

"We need to talk to Diana," Superman said.

Artemis wrinkled her nose before calling over Wonder Woman, who was a little more polite, "Superman, what's the crisis?"

Superman bit his lip, "I just met Dick's new guardian."

"New?" Wonder Woman asked, "Since when? Was it Ms. Kane?"

"No, his name was Mr. Grant Wilson, and I don't think I liked him one bit," Superman said.

J'onn and Diana looked at each other over the in shock. Superman... didn't like somebody? Was the world coming to an end?

"Well, why don't you like him Clark?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I got bad vibes from him, Diana," Superman said.

"Does he have a good background?" J'onn asked.

"He has a fine background," Superman said, "But somehow I don't believe that's all there is to him."

Wonder Woman wiped sweat from her brow before answering, "Well, why don't you look into it?"

"I can't," Superman said, "I'm stuck helping Lois on that bit with Luthor, which as much as I hate to say it, takes priority."

"What about Ollie?" Diana asked, "He could do it for you."

"That might work..." Superman trailed off, "Alright, I'll call him."

The line disconnected and J'onn called up Green Arrow, who promptly picked up the signal, "Martian, what's up?"

Superman interrupted and answered him, "Ollie, how'd you like to do some digging for me? Nothing urgent."

Ollie smiled and replied, "Sure, I could. Now who do you need the dirt on?"

-T-

**A/N:** Yeah, not much happened here, but a bit of humor came into play. Man though, I had way too much fun writing this chapter. With all of the random references and all, I suppose you can't blame me for that. But yeah, please review and let me know what you think of it! Sorry about all that dialogue! Mostly, this chapter was about just that: talking. But I swear, there's a lot more going on in the next chapter. I hope everyone's having an awesome day and rocking at life! Later!

Rena


	26. Chapter 26: Salt In The Wound

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Teen Titans or DJ Sammy's "We're In Heaven", I would own the rest of the DCU, too. Do you see me owning either of them? No! That's because they're afraid I'll kill their precious Batman... Okay, so maybe they have a reason to worry...

**Author's Note:** Dudes! I can write again! Like, really really write again! -cries tears of joy- It's a miracle! No joke, I finally felt like I wrote a really good chapter, which is great, because this is a very important chapter. On a random note, I saw two random kids Cos-playing as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn and I wanted to hug them for it. Oh, and Poison Ivy should totally be played by Amy Adams one day. Look at her on the cover of Vanity Fair, you'll see my point. Man, I can't stop smiling right now. My legs are sore from walking hours upon hours yesterday and then dancing for two hours, but I'm so hyper I feel like I could jump to the moon! _'Baby you're all that I want, When you're lying here in my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe, We're in heaven...'_ Oh, wait, you want the chapter don't you and not my singing? Well here it is: "Chapter Twenty Six: Salt In The Wound"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Salt In The Wound**

The air always smelled differently in the city than it did above it. It was dingy, dirty, and above all, it stunk of something that had died a millennia ago. Poison Ivy had tried countless times in the past to correct this problem using her own... methods, but somehow, X doubted that even if she had gotten her way, Gotham could have been saved from it. He sat on a fire escape, watching the entrance to Neighbors, debating as to whether or not to go in. Eventually, he realized that whether or not he wanted to go in, it was the quickest way to get something to eat, something he was in desperate need of.

Slamming the door open, Red X strode in, not really caring what people thought of him at this point. Yeah, he wore a mask. It didn't look as bad as half the images on theirs. He walked over to the bar and pulled one of the men sitting there off his seat by the shirt to the ground. Taking a seat, Red X took a breather. He was extremely tired and hungry. Not a combination to mess with. A waitress, after a slight hesitation, came up to him, "What'll ya have?"

"The quickest thing you have that's edible," Red X shot at her.

The waitress rolled her eyes and went to the back. Red X didn't much care. The man whose seat he had taken glared at him and walked off. But he still wanted compensation... For the past two weeks or so, Red X had been living off of barely nothing. He hadn't seen Robin since November and had yet to tell him what he had found about out about Ravager. It almost worried him, but then again, it was Robin and he had probably solved the issue anyway or just decided to ditch him.

Either way, the only reason it mattered to him was that now he'd actually have to start working again. Not really what he wanted to do at all. The waitress came over with Red X's dish and set it down on the bar. He was about to take a bite when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Looking behind him, Red X found himself looking at something he couldn't quite start to describe. Well, actually, he could, but still, it wasn't all that easy. A woman with white face paint and a mask looked at him, her lips black and her outfit like something out of a playing card.

"Hiya, puddin', name's Harley Quinn, but call me Harley," The woman said, grabbing his hand and shaking it.

Red X pulled away, utterly baffled as Harley continued, "Now, I know that you didn't just throw my buddy over there out of his seat, now did ya?"

Red X glanced over at the man behind her and then at her, not sure as to what to make of the woman. What was the big...

"You see, why my puddin's off in the big house, I take care of our men 'round here. Bobby's one of our men," Harley said sweetly.

"Actually my name's Sam..."

"Shut up!" She screeched, causing Red X back up a bit.

"Look, lady, I don't know who you are, but I don't move for anybody. And honestly, I'm in no mood to put up with this," Red X stated flatly.

He turned to go back to his food when he felt his jaw getting knocked out of place. He felt blood fill his mouth and swallowed hard, repressing the urge to shiver in repulsion. It wasn't like he could really do anything else with this mask on. Harley brought her hand back and examined it.

"Aw, now look, you made me break a nail," Harley said, then her eyes turned dangerous, "You're a DEAD MAN!!"

Jumping to her feet, Harley aimed a kick towards his head again, but this time, Red X was ready. Flinging himself back, Red X skidded out of the way only to see another attack coming his way. Harley was an acrobat, he could tell. She didn't mind causing a bit of ciaos either, by the looks of it. She actually was laughing as the fight played out. Though thoroughly mad that he hadn't gotten the chance to eat anything, X concluded that it was probably best if he left.

Heading towards the door, Red X wrenched it open and ran up the steps towards the fire escape he had been on earlier. But Harley had decided to follow and was flipping her way up towards him. Climbing fast, Red X got to the top and steeled himself ready to strike. As soon as he heard her laughter come up and above in a flip, Red X landed a nasty kick to the side of her face sending her close to the edge of the roof. Red X scowled. He had been aiming for the open air.

Harley caught herself and as Red X ran off, he heard her yell, "Alright, no more misses nice Harley!"

Catching up to him quickly, Harley threw another punch his way, but Red X dodged it easily. He attempted to elbow her in the gut, but found that she used his own momentum to trip him. Toppling to the ground, Red X spun around to fight her off when he saw that she had pulled out a gun and was aiming it at his head. He growled low as she laughed.

"You wanna play rough, kid?" She asked, "This is the Joker's neighborhood, doll face, so if you wanna play rough, you gotta be able to accept the consequences."

Red X eyed Harley from beneath the mask. He wanted to just hit his belt's button to go invisible, but unfortunately, even when he was cloaked, it didn't mean that he was bullet proof. He began to slowly bring his hands up when he heard the crack of a whip and Harley yelling out in pain. Turning his head to the right, Red X saw another figure slink her way into the light.

"Back off, Harley," She barked.

Harley dropped her gun and was holding her hand underneath her arm, biting her lip, "Geez, why I oughta..."

"Oh shut it," The woman said, "Red X, right?"

Red X nodded once and stood up, brushing off the dirt from his cape. As he watched the two females, he slowly started to recognize the second. She had a tight black suit on and cat-like ears on her head. A whip was held loosely in her right hand and she had a scowl on her face.

"Catwoman, I presume?" Red X asked.

She chuckled, "Who else?"

"Catwoman, you're so dead when Joker..." Harley started.

"You tell the Joker to back off of my territory, Harley," Catwoman said, "The East End's mine."

"To plunder or protect, kitty?" Harley remarked.

"How about to hang you by the throat and make you a cat toy?" Catwoman said, marching up to her and kicking the gun off to the side.

Harley glared at Catwoman before muttering, "Fine, fine. Not like my puddin's thinks I'm worth telling anything to these days anyway."

Catwoman turned back to her, "What?"

Harley raised a brow, "Oh, you know how men are. Sometimes after they dump you, you just want to kill all the rest of them."

"Actually, I don't," Catwoman said, "I never get dumped. I dump them. But the Joker dumped you?"

"Well, not really dumped me, but he barely said anything when he was last outside of that dreadful Arkham Asylum," Harley said.

"Joker's acting up, too?" Red X asked and Catwoman looked at Red X.

"Something like that... why?" Harley started, "And why would you think I'd tell you?"

Red X snorted, "Do I look like a good guy?"

"Well, the Batman doesn't," Harley stated.

"Honey, I stole this suit right out from the Teen Titans' nose," Red X said, "I'm no hero."

Harley's lip quivered up as though trying to act barely impressed, "Fine kid. I get it."

"What's Joker been doing, Harley?" Catwoman asked, redirecting the conversation again.

Harley finally brought her hand out again and started massaging it. "Well, if you must know, I think puddin's been stressed. Or maybe actually working. That's how he gets when he's on a job. And he keeps mentioning some 'guy' or something. Pretty vague, but that's puddin' for ya."

Catwoman narrowed her eyes at Harley and then at X before issuing her last word to the clown, "I don't care what Joker's intentions are, just as long as he stays off of my end of the streets, you got that?"

Harley sneered, but answered, "Fine, kitty cat."

Harley flipped over towards the edge of the roof and then down below, leaving the two other costumed characters to themselves. Catwoman finally decided to acknowledge Red X a little bit as she looked over at him.

"You'll get yourself killed by doing something stupid like that," She told him.

Red X looked at her, annoyed, "Look, I can handle myself, lady."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" She continued, ignoring the last comment, "Don't you normally live in Jump City?"

Red X raised a brow, impressed that she knew who he was, "Generally I suppose. Not that safe there for me anymore. Got on someone's bad side."

"So that's a habit of yours?" Catwoman smirked.

"Bad side, good side, as long as no one's trying to kill me, I'm good," Red X stated.

"Your philosophy contradicts itself," Catwoman said.

Red X smiled, "Not if you're me."

Catwoman walked over to the side where the street lights illuminated her face, "So why Gotham?"

"Hm?" Red X asked.

"Why Gotham?"

"Oh," Red X said, "Well, for a while I was taking refuge with the Titans. They owed me one and to make a long story short, I'm living here doing almost a freelance sort of job for their leader, Robin."

Normally, he didn't think he'd tell anyone that. He did have some methods of keeping himself alive. However, he had a feeling that telling her wasn't something he really needed to worry about. After all, if the Joker and her weren't very good friends, she couldn't be that bad. Catwoman pulled the end of her whip up to her gloved fingers and started playing with the ends, keeping her attention away from him.

"Robin? Really?" She asked, "Well, as much as I hate to say it, I can't say that I'm surprised."

"About what?" Red X said, not sure if he had just been insulted.

"About Robin... and his rising vigilante career," Catwoman clarified, "What did he have you doing, anyway?"

Red X shrugged, "Just keeping an ear out really. He's been working on those fire murders and asked me to report in if I heard anything. In exchange, I get breakfast, lunch, dinner and a roof over my head for the night... not that he's been coming through lately, though."

Catwoman rolled her eyes, "Not surprising. When they get on a case, you can't find them for weeks. And I haven't seen tall, dark and handsome in at least a month."

"Who?" Red X asked, unsure as to who she was talking about.

Catwoman glared at him, "The Batman."

"Oh, Batman's not part of this," Red X told her.

"He's not?" She questioned, surprised.

"Not that I know," Red X said.

"And you said that you haven't heard from Robin in a while?" Catwoman said and Red X nodded.

"It's actually kinda annoying, considering that I've got information for him," Red X said.

"Weird..." Catwoman muttered.

"Weird what?" Red X asked.

Catwoman walked over to a smoke stack and leaned against it, bringing a fist to her chin in thought, "With all that's going on..."

"What are you getting at?" Red X said, putting a foot against the edge of the roof.

The Princess of Plunder rubbed her chin as she answered, "I just wonder if there's something bigger than what we're all seeing... The idea that the Joker was working for someone..."

She shook her head trying to make it out, "This would be so much easier if Batman would just make an appearance or something..."

Red X raised a brow and then walked towards her, "Well, maybe this will help. You know Ravager?"

Catwoman's face suddenly darkened in a unnatural manner, "The one guilty of Bruce Wayne's murder?"

Red X stepped back, a bit shocked by her tone, "Uh, yeah, I found him a while back."

"You what...?" Selina felt her throat constrict.

"Yep, and get this, he was working for somebody. Even he was hired out for the job," Red X said.

"So somebody's hiring out a bunch of criminals?" Catwoman finished the thought, "But who..."

"You got me on this one, babe," Red X said, "But I'd bet anything that they're bigger than Gotham, considering I think that's a hunch of Robin's and you know, they're usually right about this sort of thing."

Catwoman's eyes narrowed. She didn't like this and what was worse, this kid was taking it so lightly. Just what she needed, another brat to watch out for.

"Well, look, I'd love to stick around and chat, but I'm starving," Red X said, going back to the roof's edge, "Thanks for the save."

"You don't take much seriously, do you?" Catwoman asked him, not very impressed.

"Hey, why should I?" Red X argued back, "If it doesn't involve me, then it's not my problem."

Catwoman squinted as Red X jumped off the roof and out of sight. She sighed, aggravated. She really didn't have much patience for kids, teenagers, any of them, really. Oh, and stupid men. Yeah, those were pretty high on her list, too. Selina had to admit though, she was starting to be able to stand Robin a bit more. At least he was maturing... somewhat. She rolled her eyes and looked north at uptown. The city's lights clamored at the night's sky. However, it didn't quell the feeling of anger that was starting to burn in her chest.

Ravager had been working for someone. Someone had deliberately killed him... Bruce... Selina brought her hand up to her mask and pulled it up and off, wiping away the hints of tears threatening to break away. She wanted to scratch out their eyes, whoever they were. She'd kept an eye out for Ravager, but now, to know that he was just a pawn... she wanted to find the king. Her eyes passed over the bottom shops and a piece of jewelery caught Catwoman's eyes. Pretty. On any other night, she might have been tempted, but not tonight.

Not tonight...

Suddenly, Selina felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Turning swiftly, Catwoman looked into the shadows of the smoke stacks and the many rooftops of the East End. She repressed the urge to gulp and instead brought her mask back down, walking forward. She squinted up her eyes to get a better look. She could have sworn... She began running into the night. If someone was up there, she'd find them.

After two minutes of searching, Catwoman slowed her sprint to a jog and then stopped. Nothing. Weird. It was all weird. She knew someone else was up here and she intended to find out who. They had killed Bruce. They'd pay. She wanted her shot at them. But it didn't look like she was getting one tonight. Maybe, maybe not... Catwoman turned around quickly. No one. She was getting paranoid. With everything going on, that's what it had to be, her own paranoia... No. Something was off. She knew it. She couldn't ignore it.

She wouldn't ignore it.

-T-

Slade opened the door to the hallway and walked towards the steps. He stretched his back as he had been sitting at the computer for the last five hours. Before heading downstairs, he peeked into Dick's room. Just as he'd thought, Dick was sound asleep in bed. The boy shivered as the cold air seeped into the room. Slade smiled and shut the door, continuing his path downstairs.

Dick hadn't been taking his nightly ventures for the past two weeks or so. Maybe more, and Slade couldn't be more pleased. The only thing that tended to bother him was the fact that the boy was so quiet when he was home. He was getting better, but still, it was like he had to force anything out of the teen. He walked into the kitchen and began making breakfast. At least the kid was eating more, too, considering that every day, Dick was at least coming back sweaty and thoroughly flushed in the face.

Most of the time, their days were uncommonly routine. Normally Slade would get up, make breakfast, Dick would come down, he would 'fake' work, Dick would go play baseball, he'd actually get a work out in, Dick would come home, they'd have dinner, Dick would go to bed, and then he'd actually work. It was a cycle, but it wasn't one that he really cared to complain about. Actually, any break from the norm set him on high alert.

When 'Mr. Kent' had come over, Slade couldn't admit that he had been very happy about it, but he wasn't too worried. He'd covered his tracks well enough so that even if that pansy tried to do research on his background, he'd only come up with a respectable profile. Almost on cue, as he finished breakfast, Dick came down, bleary-eyed, and yawning. The kid slumped over to the island as Slade put a dish of eggs and sausage in front of him. Dick took a moment before getting up and grabbing the carton of orange juice from the fridge.

"Sleep well?" Slade asked.

Dick shrugged as he poured himself a glass and sat down. The rest of breakfast was spent in silence, which irked Slade. The kid really wasn't very sociable, was he? Dick got up once he was finished and placed his dishes in the dishwasher before muttering a 'thanks' and heading back upstairs. Slade's eyes narrowed and suddenly, his fake one irritated him. Sighing, he rubbed it gently, careful to keep it in place. He glanced over at a mirror to check his reflection. He had to admit, he was surprised at what a fake eye and a little make up could do. Couple that with covering it a bit with bangs all worked to keep Dick in the dark.

Marching up to the top of the steps, Dick went back to his room and got ready for the day. Today they were playing Brian and Jacob's team for the tickets to the Gotham Goliaths. Not that he hadn't seen the Goliaths before, but it would be so much cooler to be hanging out with people his age and not in a tux. He winced. He shouldn't be thinking badly of Bruce. It wasn't his fault that they had been dragged so often to fundraisers.

He hadn't told the team about Bruce. He figured that they didn't need to know. And today, he wanted to have fun. He dressed for the game, despite the fact that it wasn't going to be till three thirty. Glancing outside, he saw that it was overcast and the sky was threatening. He walked over to his laptop and quickly checked the weather report. Seventy percent chance of rain with a high of 38 degrees. No kidding. He threw on a T-shirt and jeans, grabbing long socks to keep him warm during the beginning of the game. He grabbed a cap that Omar had given him and went for his laptop.

He pulled up a file or two, searching through some of the criminal files and clues that he had kept in a list. By scanning it, he hoped that with a fresh look, he might notice something. But with no luck, he closed the files and carried the laptop downstairs, where he set himself up on the couch. Wilson was cleaning up and eventually went upstairs to work or do whatever, Dick didn't really care. He opened his laptop again and proceeded to play video games. He remained that way till about eleven, when he decided to read some news, which lasted maybe half and hour. Maybe.

Getting bored in this house was a rather easy thing for Dick to do. There was never anything on TV mid-day, considering that everyone was supposed to be at school or at work. Right now, he thought that the only reason that he hadn't been enrolled in the local High School was because of his records being held up because of the many transfers they had had to go through previously. Either way, he was technically a high school graduate and had been taking online college courses every once in a while when he had been out at Titans Tower. The classes had been nothing formal and Dick had often taken them to be a means of stimulating his brain rather than a legit course of study that would effect his overall record.

Not that it helped him now. Dick turned off the TV and laid back on the couch, aggravated and jittery. Noticing that it was near lunch anyway, he got up to eat, which took him about another half hour. This was becoming painful. If he was really timing everything... Dick shook his head. He went up to his room and looked around, seeing if there was anything to clean up. He picked up some papers and some clothes, at the same time, tossing his shoes in the closet. He mentally scowled at his organizational habits.

Dick went back downstairs to the lounge, deciding that the best thing to do would be to read a book. He went to a shelf and grabbed a rather large volume on the history of the world's cities. It was surprisingly interesting and kept his attention for a while until he started seeing double after reading for so long. Standing up, Dick looked outside the window to see that the overcast day hadn't receded. He sighed, stretching. He was impatient and wanted to get out, but he didn't feel like freezing in the cold for an hour or more before the game actually started.

Putting the book down, Dick decided to at least get his blood pumping. He walked into the front dining area, a place that on most occasions, he'd rather skip being in. But the emptiness of it was good enough for now. He could stand it. Dick glanced outside again, but seeing nothing new, he turned in the other direction, towards the library. He hadn't really been in here very often. It was in it's own corner of the house, draped in shadows. And the walls held a very old fashioned sort of appeal to them.

There was a lot to look at, though. The first time he had been here, he had mostly only gotten to scan over it. But now, now he could see what was in here. Like he had remembered, Wilson had collected items from all over the world. Every continent was represented and each one had something different to identify themselves with. Dolls, instruments, flags, tapestries, toys, historical texts, paintings... He brushed past many of the items, with some interest, but not very much.

He came to a picture of a person's hands near their chest with only a the edges of their jaw and ear visible on the wall, or rather, it was a painting and below that were a few pieces of jewelry that were featured in it. The paint was dark, dirty, but retained time's appeal. But the jewelry was what continued to hold his eyes. They were gold pieces with carvings and were elegantly made, though one could tell that they had to have been forged out of a few different pieces of gold. It wasn't anything special, just a necklace and two bracelets.

They still held some gleam to them though, despite the wear that had plagued them. He could tell that someone had worn them before, probably often. Dick moved a bit closer to examine the designs. They were so familiar. They looked slightly European - he could see traces of the Mediterranean Sea's culture in it too. But there wasn't a country that can to mind... He felt that he should know this. Dick reached out to touch one.

"They're fragile," Dick jumped and turned to see Wilson to his side.

How he had not noticed him come in was beyond Dick, "No kidding. They look familiar, where'd you get them?"

Wilson sighed and answered, "They were a gift. They're from the Romani culture."

"Romani? The Roma?" Dick asked, curious, "I'm half Roma."

Wilson looked at him, tilting his head to the side to look at him from another angle, "Who's side?"

"My Dad's..." Dick said, trailing off and turning back to the jewelry, "No wonder they caught my eye."

"No wonder indeed," Wilson said, somewhat interested in where the conversation would lead, "You know, the person who gave them to me told me an interesting story about them."

Dick didn't make a comment, but listened, "She said that they were only meant for the Roma to wear, that they wouldn't fit anyone else."

The teen paused for a moment, remembering his family's native stories, "Doesn't sound too unlikely, the story, that is. Not sure how logical it would be, though."

He leaned back, but kept his eyes on the jewelry and the painting. Slade watched as the boy continued to stare at it, as though entranced by it like a dog would a toy bone. He repressed a smile, glad that he had picked up the piece at the antique store. Dick continued to study them and after a minute or two, he leaned back and sighed.

"Cool," He said, casually.

Wilson nodded, "I thought so... Do you have anything like it, Dick?"

"Huh?" Dick said, looking over at him.

"Do you have anything like it?" Wilson repeated the question.

"Oh, no," Dick said, "I only got to see my Dad's family a few times in my life, since we all traveled."

"That's a shame," Wilson stated.

"Not really, I mean, I don't regret it," Dick said, "We, uh, we worked as trapeze artists. It was a lot of fun."

Wilson raised a brow, pretending to be surprised, "Really? That's unique."

Dick looked at Wilson at the term 'unique', "What?"

"It's just different, that's all," Wilson stated, "It's not every day you meet a trapeze artist."

"Oh," Dick said, sort of taken of guard.

Slade could see that it hadn't been the best thing to say and attempted to redirect the conversation, "So how did you end up in Wayne's care?"

Dick shot a glance at Wilson and answered, "There was an accident and my parents died. He took me in, that's all."

"Seems a bit random," Slade commented, any degrading thing he could say about Wayne was worth every penny.

"Not really," Dick stated, turning to face him, "Bruce lost his parents around the same age as I did."

Slade nodded, but didn't look impressed, so Dick continued, "I wasn't some charity case, if that's what you're thinking."

Slade looked offended, though in reality, he wasn't, "I didn't say that, Dick."

"But you're thinking it," Dick warned, "Look, I was kept out of the papers. I was taught privately at home until middle school. I only went out to public functions later on. He wasn't trying to make a big deal out of anything."

"Dick, calm down," Slade said, "I'm not accusing Wayne of anything."

Dick glared at him, not sure if he really believed him. Above, he could hear the rain starting to pound on the rooftop. The room was tense for both of them. Slade wasn't sure where the conversation was leading to, but Dick had a strong feeling that he didn't want to keep it going.

Dick turned to the side answering, "Yeah, sure."

"Dick..."

"Look, it's the same everywhere. Only a few people ever believe me when I say Wayne's not, he wasn't a bad guy," Dick stated, "And trust me, I know when I'm a charity case."

Moving past Slade, Dick left the library to go to the front room, the words that Bruce had told him seconds before his death, ringing in his ears. It took a second for Slade to realize he'd just been snubbed and while there was a part of him that was slightly impressed, he realized immediately that this view needed to be corrected.

"Dick, wait," He said, going to the front room.

He found Dick sitting on the couch, looking outside, where the rain had started falling in a casual semi-bleak manner. Dick didn't look at him, ignoring Slade's presence. Slade sighed and walked up to the couch.

"Why would you think that you're a charity case here?" Slade asked.

It took a moment, before Dick responded sarcastically, "There's the classic characteristics."

"What are you talking about?" Slade asked, incredulously.

That's when Dick finally turned to look at him, "Why do you even pretend to care?"

Slade repressed the urge to be sarcastic in return, "I don't pretend, Dick."

"Sure," Dick stated, "I believe you. I'm just some random kid that got dropped into your life that you didn't even know about until a couple of weeks ago. Of course you care."

"Dick, you're not making any sense," Slade argued.

"Oh yeah, I'm not making any sense. When all you do all day is check in on me like I'm going to break something in your house. It's not like you even want me in the house half the time. You never ask about the games I play," Dick said, pausing for a moment, "And you know, if you did care, I mean genuinely cared, you'd be dead. Because everyone who's ever really cared about me _is_ dead!"

Slade kept quiet, looking at Dick. The boy was so angry. So bitterly angry. And hurt. By everything. By circumstance, by the enormous amount of pressure put upon him by everyone around him. By being thrown around from one place to another. Slade hated to admit that he was partially responsible for that, but that had been for the best. Still, now Dick felt like he was just a nobody. The clock in the room chimed and they both turned to look at it. It was three.

Dick looked back at Slade, "I've got to go."

He moved past Slade and slipped on his shoes that were by the door. Throwing on his coat and grabbing the glove the guys had lent him, Dick went outside into the rain. The door slammed shut and Slade was left alone. He didn't care, huh? Slade looked out the corner of his eye out the window as Dick walked down the sidewalk. The boy was depressed, that was for sure. But perhaps this hadn't been a total loss of a conversation.

Slade smiled. If there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was correct problems. He went to get his coat and wallet. Going out to the car, Slade shifted into reverse and backed into the street, heading for downtown Gotham. In the opposite direction, Dick ran towards the field, the rain starting to feel cold. He kept his hood on and one hand in his jacket, the other holding the glove. It took him about three minutes or so to reach the field, where he saw Omar and Ellie waiting along with the rest of the team.

He ran across the street and onto the field. Glancing over, he saw the other team huddling while a few parents stood in the rain with umbrellas to watch them. Omar called him over and he and Rain started to explain their strategy. Once done, Omar finished the pep talk.

"I know we can do this, guys," Omar called out, "We're going to see the Gotham Goliath's off season game! We've got the best players, the best strategies..."

"The best captains!" Kevin added.

Omar nodded, "We've got this! Now who's with me?!"

They called a team cheer, yelling that they were and got ready for the first inning. The game started out clean enough, until their shoes got drenched with water and their clothes began to get muddy. The rain started to pour down harder now, pounding on their backs and necks as though dooming them to lose. There were several players that slipped and slid past bases, but somehow managed.

By the end of the fifth inning, they were all soaked to the skin, coated in mud, and could barely see out into the street much less where the ball was coming from. Dick and Sean sat down, both tired and out of breath having both finished two runs. Most of the team was exhausted or panting hard. And despite all of this, despite the heat that they were generating from the adrenaline rushes, they were still freezing cold. Ellie walked over sat down next to Dick, rubbing her hands together, hoping that somehow that would help. Then she sat up, as though surprised at something.

"Hey, Dick?" She asked.

"Huh?" He asked back.

"Isn't that your guardian?" Ellie asked him.

Dick immediately sat up and looked over at the spectators. Sure enough, there was Slade, watching the game. He didn't know exactly what to do at that. He was surprised, yeah, but...Slade was here?

"I'll be right back," Dick told Ellie.

Running over, Dick went over to Slade, who looked at him from underneath an umbrella. Slade smiled.

"You play well," He said.

Dick was still in a lot of shock, but somehow managed to nod, "Thanks... What are you doing here?"

"Watching the game, Dick," Slade told him, "And, you ran out of the house so quickly... I didn't get a chance to give you this."

Slade took something out from behind his back and presented a brand new wooden baseball bat. Sleek, smooth, perfect weight. Dick gaped at it and slowly took the bat, marveling at it. He looked up at Slade, not sure at what to say. He looked down at the bat again and suddenly his gut dropped. Oh, he'd been such a jerk...

"I think your team's about to play again," Slade said, "Go get 'em."

Dick looked back up at him and nodded, "Th.. Thanks."

Slade smiled. Dick smiled back and slowly went back to his team. They were out in the field now. Dick remained in the outfield most of the time and with his catches and Sean's first basemen skills, they quickly got the other team out within a few pitches. The rain continued to pour until there wasn't an inch of them that wasn't soaked. They couldn't even be sweaty. It wasn't possible.

Dick and Sean got in several good plays. Dick used the new bat, finding it to have amazing grip. He felt guilty having to throw it to the ground after a hit. That's the way the game went, he knew and he was pretty sure that Wilson knew, but still...

Soon enough, the score boards got filled up and they got to the top of the ninth. They were ahead, but the bases were loaded and if Brian and Jacob's team scored, they'd have to go into the bottom of the ninth and there wasn't one of them that thought that they could score. Well, Sean thought he could, but he was at the end of the lineup.

Dick breathed deeply, taking in all that he could. Rain drops dripped past his eyelashes and ran down his face. He swallowed hard as he saw the next batter come up. He could recognize that it was the captain, Jacob. He couldn't make out much else, the rain was so intense. He watched Omar pitch. Strike. Rain threw it back to Omar, nodding at him. Omar gulped and swung. Strike Two. Rain threw it back again. Everyone tensed. One more out and they'd win...

The ball flew through out of Omar's hands at Jacob. Then, the unmistakable crack of the ball against wood. He heard the gasp. He watched as the ball flew through the air and towards... Dick's eyes dilated. Right between center and third base. No one was there. Dick ran. The rain made the rest of it a blur. He remembered running and then, watching as the ball started heading for the ground, leaped down and slid hard. Upon landing, it was the wetness that brought him back into the game. He saw everyone's eyes on him and, more specifically, his glove. He looked over and saw the ball in his hands. Third out. Third out!!

"I've got it!" He yelled getting up, "Third out!"

Immediately there was an eruption of yells and screams. His teammates abandoned their posts and ran over to him and suddenly he found himself inside a crowded group that was yelling and screaming their heads off. Rain and Omar were jumping up and down like maniacs while Kevin and Sean came up and patted Dick on the back. Ellie was about to have a heart attack and was nearly floating, she was jumping so much. They all were hugging each other and jumping up and down like they had won the world series. It was quite like being at a dance when everyone gets in a big group just to jump up and down and step on one another's feet.

Dick smiled as he felt everyone yelling congrats at him and talking about how they won. He heard Mina and Nomin yelling about the Gotham Goliaths and somehow, Ellie found him and began choking the air out of him in a hug, she was so happy. Spencer and Daniel came over and lifted Dick up onto their shoulders as cheers erupted.

**_"Gotham Goliaths! Gotham Goliaths!! Gotham Goliaths!!"_**

After what felt like a good ten minutes of cheering and screaming, Rain and Patrick went over to collect the cash for the tickets and told everyone to call them for their tickets. The team dispersed pretty quickly, most being called in by their parents thinking that they'd get hypothermia.

"YOU AMAZING CHILD!!" Ellie yelled, once again holding Dick around the neck and keeping air from reaching his lungs, "You keep that glove and the ball and everything you got!"

Dick smiled, "Thanks Ellie! Really!"

Ellie kissed him on the cheek excitedly and then ran off to where her parents were calling for her, "Bye!"

"Bye Ellie!" Dick called.

He went over to collect the new bat and then turned to see Slade across the field. He walked over and offered a small smile. Slade offered one in return.

"Congratulations," He said.

"Thanks," Dick said.

"Good job," Slade told him.

Dick nodded as Slade continued, "Ready to go? I've got a towel or two in the car."

Dick nodded again and followed him to the car, where they got in and drove back to the townhouse. Upon arriving, they went in the side door near the kitchen and Dick kicked off his shoes. The warm air hit him immediately and he breathed a sigh of relief. Slade placed the keys on the table and took off his wet trench coat.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" Slade suggested, noting the mud all over Dick's face and clothes.

Come to think of it, he'd probably never be able to wear these clothes again with these stains, "Alright."

Dick walked towards the staircase and up towards the bathroom. Soon, the hot water was running and the drain started dealing with all of that mud. Dick washed up and felt the refreshing nature of a shower kick in. He got out after about ten minutes and went to his room. Outside, he saw that the rain had almost stopped and was just pitter-pattering. He pulled out some casual clothes, noting that it was still only about 8:30 and he'd probably be up for the next three hours anyway.

He looked over at his closet. Dick sighed. He went in and pulled out the belt and mask to put on his bedside table by the door. Though he had made a promise to himself, that had been really, REALLY, fun. But he knew that he had to go back to work. He saw how bad things were starting to get, even in his short leave of absence. But still, that had been so much fun. The whole gang was fun. It was just being with them. Even if they had lost, it would have been great. Well, alright, so winning did have that appeal, but still, it would have been fun enough. He thought back to the Titans. That's what they had been like. And he'd always ignored them. He'd have to give them a call tonight. Apologize...

Apologize. Dick heard the water running and realized that he had another person to apologize to to. Wilson. Wow, he'd been a jerk, hadn't he? And the guy had gotten him that bat and had come to the game and everything. And all he had done was be a rude little smart mouth. Dick felt an immense amount of guilt and... gratitude. Dick sighed. He finished getting dressed and spiked his hair a little bit. Not much, but enough so that he didn't feel like water was still pouring over his head.

Dick opened the door to his room and heard the water stop. It had come from down the hall and Dick realized that Wilson had probably showered too. Closing the door most of the way, Dick walked down to Wilson's room and knocked softly.

"Wilson?" He asked.

No answer. He knocked again and called, "Wilson?"

He knocked a third time, when the door opened. Dick stepped back, surprised, but he quickly got over that. Swallowing, Dick stepped into the room and looked around. It looked normal enough. And then he saw the light streaming from the right side of the room, coming from the door. Dick smiled slightly and went to look over.

"Wil... son?" Dick paused, frozen in place, his smile now gone.

Through the small crack in the door, Dick saw Wilson at the counter of his bathroom. But on the counter. On the counter... rolled a small glass ball. An eye. Dick looked up at Wilson's reflection in the mirror in front of him. Sure enough, Dick could see the empty eye socket on the right side of Wilson's face. Dick couldn't move and suddenly he started to have trouble breathing.

"Slade."

Slade looked up at him through the mirror and slowly, but ever so surely, came a small smile of satisfaction, his eye never leaving Dick's face. But Dick's could. Within seconds, Dick felt himself impulsively move, leave, get away. Slade looked down at the eye for a moment, not too alarmed, and chuckled softly. Well, it was about time. He laughed louder as Dick ran down the hall, grabbing his belt and mask from his room, and ran down the steps.

_'Let the chase begin!'_

**End Of Part Four**

-T-

**A/N:** This kid can't be happy, can he? Lol. I'm so mean to this child. I'm sorry. But it's only going to get worse from here! And you thought that I couldn't ruin Robin's life more, now didn't you? Well, that's what Part Five will be for! Haha! Yeah, I'm somewhat excited for the next few chapters. And man did I love using Catwoman in there. That was fun. But yeah, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please Review! (Or dress up as the Joker for Halloween, either one will do, lol) Oh, Rock the world and smile! _'And love is all that I need, And I found it there in your heart, It isn't too hard to see, We're in heaven!' _Later!

Rena ;-D


	27. Chapter 27: Truth Be Told Pt 5

**Disclaimer:** I'm sure I don't own these characters because if I did... well, let's put it this way, there would have been a live action movie by now. Seriously. That's proof enough that I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** I feel guilty enough to work on this story by getting up at five in the morning to do so. That was my own fault because for some reason I'm an early bird. But yes, it's finally done and I'm sorry it's late. Test weeks, ugh, not fun. BTW, I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and got lots of candy! I didn't get candy, but I had fun dressing up. Oh, one thing I wanted to mention was that I did post three stories between the last update of Custody and now so feel free to check them out. One's a Jericho story, so I think you will all like that one. Without further adieu though, let me introduce to you this chapter and the start of part five: "Chapter Twenty-Seven: Truth Be Told"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part Five: What You Can Take**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Truth Be Told**

Dick grabbed his shoes and thrust the door open, jumping to the sidewalk as quickly as humanly possible. It was almost unreal to him, that a moment ago, he was thinking of relaxing for the night and then suddenly all of that was gone and was replaced by the fury of an adrenaline rush. He quickly put on the mask and pulled his belt around his waist, clipping it into place. He felt the cool air whipping against his bare arms and the numbing sensation taking place at the ends of his fingertips and toes as he ran down the wet streets. He ran past the corner and turned, taking the shortest route to midtown Gotham.

He could see his breath slide past him in puffs of white air while his lungs turned into refrigerators as the hair on his arms and neck began to stand on end. The mask deflected the cold air from his eyes, but the rest of his face wasn't immune to the cold. He grabbed his communicator from his belt and turned it on as he kept running.

"Titans! Titans!" He yelled, but when he didn't get a reply, he looked down to realize that the T-Communicator was dead. How...?

He felt the urge to panic.

Robin continued to run down the long streets, refusing to stop for anything. His nose was beginning to turn red as were his ears. But the adrenaline kept him going and the fear of Slade chasing him fueled that as well. Robin looked behind him to see no one, but he wasn't going to take that chance. He didn't know that Slade still hadn't left yet, that he was planning on taking his time. Robin pulled out the Bat-Communicator this time, hoping that someone, anyone would hear him.

"Alfred! Superman! Someone!" He yelled, but again there was no response.

Robin growled in annoyance as he kept running. He was getting close to a main road into midtown that crossed a bridge when he felt a staggering pain as he stepped on a sharp piece of broken glass in the road. Robin tripped and looked down at his foot. Biting his lip, he wrenched what glass he could out of his foot, but in doing so realized his foot wasn't only bleeding from the glass, but from other cuts he had received while running.

He couldn't keep running, but he had to... that's when Robin spotted a yellow car parked at the corner. Robin got up and started to run over to the taxi cab. He knocked on the window, startling the driver, who looked at him in surprise.

"Can you take me to midtown?" Robin asked, pleading, "The police department?"

The cab driver looked him over before quickly nodding yes. Robin threw himself into the backseat as the driver took off for the central hub of Gotham. Robin groaned as the heat began to affect his skin and dissipate the numbing cold. He pulled his foot up to look at it closely. It was bleeding in several places. He had been in such a rush to get out of the house that he hadn't bothered to even put on his shoes. As they crossed the bridge, Robin cleaned what he could of his feet even as the ends of his pants chilled his ankles.

He wondered where Slade was. He knew that the man had to be coming after him. He wouldn't just let him get away. That's when it really started to sink in. Slade had been here. Slade had been part of this. Slade had...

_**BOOM!!!**_

Robin looked outside and saw a few cars behind them, three cars getting thrown into the air as a fire ball erupted from behind them. Robin felt his stomach drop again. Pulling on the shoes that he had grabbed, Robin left a hundred in the cab as he got out. They weren't going to be moving anywhere. He started running, ignoring the pain in his feet and instead focusing on his goal, his target. The police department. Gordon, Yin, Sawyer, anyone, someone would be there that could help him. Or rather Dick Grayson. Maybe not Robin, but certainly Dick.

As he ran, Robin heard another explosion catch hold of several more cars behind him. And then another. And another. And another. On the last one, Dick managed to catch sight at what was causing them. Tiny bombs. The explosions continued to rip through the center of midtown while Robin wondered why it couldn't be raining now instead of earlier. Party goers and citizens alike screamed as others abandoned their cars. Meanwhile what was abandoned was torn to shreds. He couldn't stay here. The sooner he was out of here, the better... Robin passed by Wayne Tower, construction still underway as lightning ripped across the sky and thunder hit the city like tsunami of sound. Then a thought occurred to him: the monorail!

Robin looked up and saw one coming. He kept moving while grabbing a birdarang line from his belt. His eyes dodged around as he looked for Slade, the source of this chaos, but he couldn't find him. He kept running, continuing his pace, readying himself for the tug of the monorail.... when he heard a little girl scream. Robin's head shot around as he spotted a four year old girl screaming and crying, lost from her parents in the sea of panicking adults. And she was right in the bombs' pathway.

The Teen Wonder looked up at the oncoming monorail and then at the little girl. He didn't have much of a choice. Racing over to the girl, Robin shot the line out to a nearby flagpole and connected it to his belt. Another bomb went off. He was seconds away. Almost... Robin caught hold of the girl and lounged forward as the cable line went taught and pulled them away as another bomb exploded mere feet away from where they had been moments previously.

Robin looked down at the girl, who was slightly dumbfounded as to what just happened. The monorail passed him and Robin watched as his one quick ticket out of here disappeared. He lowered himself and the girl down gently and let go of the line. He didn't have time to help her find her parents unfortunately, but he left her with an older couple. It was the best he could do. Robin ran out of the center of midtown and continued towards the police department. It took him a good twenty minutes before he took another small break.

For the most part, it was quiet, but that didn't mean that Slade wasn't there. He knew he was. Somewhere... Robin leaned against a wall, breathing so hard it hurt. He rested his head, closing his eyes when a light hit them. Robin opened an eye to look up to see Bat-Signal, coming from only a block away from the alley way he was in now. Robin breathed a sigh of relief. He could make out the street and the lights on inside of the GCPD. He saw Gordon on the roof, waiting for Batman to come like always as though nothing had ever changed. He was right there... right there!

He began to run again. But he maybe got five feet before Robin felt an intense, striking pain streak through his back as though it had been broken by a car. He tripped and fell forward as he gasped in pain, tumbling to the ground and rolling a few times until he was back on his chest, unconscious. The teen lay there, in the alley way, seemingly forgotten for a moment, as though he was just supposed to be there when a flash of lightning ripped through the sky again and one could make out a loan eye watching him. He held a baseball bat loosely in his hand.

Pulling it up to eye level, Slade casually looked at it, "Well, that was handy."

Tossing the bat aside, Slade came forward and looked down at Robin, who didn't move as the metal shoes came closer to him. Slade stood in front of him and waited as a limo came up behind him. Somehow, it always managed to catch his attention above all else, Robin's look when he was unconscious or sleeping... his face always held remnants of innocence. The irony in that, he noted, was very real. Wintergreen unlocked the doors of the limo and Slade took his cue.

Pulling Robin's hands behind him, Slade cuffed them tightly with sturdy pieces of rope. Feeling gloved hands on his wrists was enough to get Robin to wake up slightly, despite the agonizing pain in his back. He groaned as Slade gently lifted his head in order to place a gag around his mouth. Robin looked up and though he couldn't see Slade, he could see Gordon, waiting on the roof. No... His head was placed on the ground and he felt his legs and feet getting tied together as well. No...

A mumbled groan barely escaped him as his eyes were covered. Robin felt Slade picking him up and that's when the panic kicked in. He attempted to struggle, to move, to get free, anything. Anything... But he couldn't fight through the pounding headache. Slade placed Robin inside the limo, taking the belt from the teen in the process. Robin saw the light dim from in front of the blindfold as he heard the car door getting shut behind him. He called out again. He was so close... How could... The pain in his back shot through him again and he moaned.

Outside, Slade walked around to the front to talk to Wintergreen, "Take him to the estate. I'll meet you there."

Wintergreen nodded and rolled up the window as the last remnants of the clouds carried out their threat and began to fall once more. Slade stood in the alleyway when he felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the caller ID, he picked it up casually.

"Wilson," He said, "Hello, Commissioner. Oh yes, every thing's going quite well. Dick's doing just fine... Yes, actually, we're going to be going out of town for about a month for my business. That is alright, isn't? Thank you. Take care Commissioner, take care."

He ended the call and looked up at the Commissioner on the roof. It was enough to make him smile as Gordon went over and turned the Bat-Signal off. He had noticed, and so had others, that the signal was on less and less often now. Perfect, just perfect. Slade turned away and strode down the alleyway, making his way to the estate.

Inside the limo however, Robin was having a less than perfect night. He slowly was able to start moving again, though hardly without feeling the pain in his back. But that certainly didn't mean that he wouldn't try. He attempted to kick the doors, or what he thought were the doors and he screamed through the gag. Soon though, he started to cough as his cold lungs refused to continue giving him the necessary air to do so. He kept rolling in the back kicking, which was about the only thing he could do. The panic had receded and was replaced by worry and dread.

At one point, Robin just stopped all together. He couldn't do it. He was hurt, tied up, and above all, tired. What could he do anyway? What power had he had in the past three months? He hadn't had any. He had been constantly shipped around without a say and worse yet, now that he knew that Slade was involved, somehow, he knew that he had never had much of any control from the beginning. Robin lay back in the limo on the floor, waiting. Waiting for what would happen.

He felt his gut sink even further. The Titans, what would... why didn't they answer? Would Alfred notice he called? Where was Slade taking him, anyway? The unanswered questions lingered in his mind. How had he not seen this? How? He was trained by the world's greatest detective and he hadn't been able to figure this one out? Suddenly, Robin felt the ground shift upward and he realized that they had to be going over a bridge. He hoped that they weren't going outside of Gotham. He hoped for his life that they weren't. But soon, he heard less and less of the commotion of traffic.

Even then though, his attention was soon turned away by the sharp hit he had taken to his back, where he could swear a large bruise was forming. He gasped as he felt it take shape. Then, the road changed in texture and Robin felt the limo bump against what he thought had to be loose gravel. They must have been getting close... at least, half of him, the part that was hurting hoped so. The other half felt dread wash over him. He wished that he could tell how long they'd been traveling, they being him and whoever was driving.

Suddenly, the car stopped and Robin could feel the car being shifted into park. He heard the car door open behind him and the cold rushing inside. He shivered, but the dangerous reality came back to the forefront of his mind when he felt metal hands gripping his arms and legs, lifting him out of the car. He recognized his captors as Sladebots, for lack of a better name. The carried him over what he thought had to be the road to an entrance. Around him, he heard the wind race through the branches of trees and the fair few leaves that sting clung to their homes for dear life. Where was he?

Suddenly, the entrance way opened and the Sladebots carried him inside where instant warmth hit him. The Sladebots carried him through the hallways or what Robin could only guess were hallways until they entered a new room, where Robin could hear their footprints echo and the sound of crackling flames. They dropped him to the floor and he grunted. Blinking, Robin realized that there was light coming in this room, more so than the others. It wasn't much more, but it was enough to make a difference. He wasn't going to stay down though, not just waiting.

Grunting, Robin attempted to push himself up to his knees. It was certainly not the easiest thing he had ever done, but with one last final shove, Robin somehow managed balance himself and keep himself on his knees, when he heard clapping in the background. Instantly, Robin went rigid and still. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was applauding him. It soon stopped and he heard them walk forward.

"You know... I was wondering when you would figure it out," Slade said, "It was almost getting boring."

Robin remained silent, it wasn't like he could say anything through the gag anyway. Slade walked to the front of the room where a large fire was burning in the gray stone fireplace. He looked up at the stuffed heads of his various prizes and sighed before turning back to the teen on the floor in front of him. He looked at Robin, who he could tell was waiting instinctively for something. What the boy wanted? He didn't know and he didn't quite care.

"But maybe that's why I was becoming a little sloppy," Slade said and walked over to Robin, removing the blindfold from his masked eyes.

Robin shook his head and got a good look at where he was. It appeared to be a house. A log cabin styled house. Large, stately. A retreat from the cold in many ways. There were three long leather couches in the area and several glass and wooden tables by their corners while a small table stood behind him. To his left was a plasma TV screen and nearby that was a computer. To his right, he could see a long dining table with a closed window frame, which he supposed led to a kitchen.

Behind him, Robin could hear the wind hitting the side of the house and he could see closed windows keeping it out. Above, the roof crisscrossed and from it's center, a chandelier made out of deer antlers hung from a iron chain. The floor was mostly bare and wooden, but the area in front of the fireplace where Robin was, was carpeted. The items within the room were certainly costly, but never something that could be overpriced. But despite the elaborate setting, Robin could see the locks, the keypads in the corners of the room. Slade had made this place a fortress.

Slade chuckled as he saw Robin look around, "Get used to it, we'll be here for a while."

Through the gag, Robin deliberately sent a muffled question. Slade smiled and walked back to release the boy from the gag. Robin took a sharp intake of breath, eager for fresh air, but instead, the potent smells of burning wood and heat did little to make the air seem fresh.

"Do you think you'll get away with this?" Robin demanded to know.

The very question... Slade turned to face his ward face to face, "You're seriously asking me that, Robin?"

Robin looked at Slade, confused and Slade chuckled, "I've been planning this for three and a half months. Do you think I'd leave a detail such as getting away with this to chance?"

Three and a half months? Robin felt his eyes widen. It had been Slade? This whole time...

Slade had manipulated the wills. Slade had hired the robber. Slade had killed all of those people. Slade had...

"You killed Bruce?" It was the first thing out of Robin's mouth for a minute and with it, his eyes stood shocked and baffled.

Through the mask, Slade sighed, "Well, yes and no. I did hire Ravager out for that job. But we really have Lex Luthor to thank for that one."

"Luthor?" Robin questioned and Slade realized he would have to explain.

"Luthor hired me to kill Bruce Wayne, but it wasn't till I did the research that I found a few pictures of Dick Grayson," Slade told him, "And once I knew who you were, Robin. It was simple to figure out that I was dealing with the Batman."

Robin watched as Slade walked over to the stone fireplace.

"And that's when I decided to get more than just a paycheck out of this job," Slade said, walking back in front of Robin.

He put a knee to the ground and grabbed Robin by the chin forcing the teen to look directly into his one eye, "I decided to get _you_."

Beneath the mask, Slade smiled as Robin's eyes widened and he attempted to launch himself away from his captor's grip. _'No... this wasn't happening...'_ Robin thought. Slade let Robin go and got up, facing the fireplace with his hands behind his back, a natural stance for him.

Robin shook his head as it clicked in his head, "You killed Bruce!"

Slade sighed, wondering if they would have to go over this again, "I think we've already established that."

**_"You killed him! You killed..."_** Slade spun around and glared at Robin, forcefully ending Robin's sentence mid scream.

"It would have happened either way, Robin. It wasn't my idea," Slade said.

Robin looked up at Slade in surprise as his fury and rage had suddenly been bottled up with not one to turn it on. He wanted to let Slade hear it. To hear how much he hated him. How low and how despicable he was, but something inside of Robin stopped him from ever getting that far. Was it the hurt or the fear that had come back into his mind?

"What do you want with me?" Robin asked.

Slade closed his eye and answered simply, "What has it always been?"

Robin shook his head, "No... No! No! No!"

He suddenly lost balance and fell head first onto the floor, but continued to yell, "I'm not going to be your apprentice! I'm not! Not now, not ever again!"

Slade spun around and grabbed the boy by the hair and pulled him back to his knees, "You don't really have a choice in the matter, Robin."

He let go and Robin continued, "I won't do it! You killed Bruce! You can't keep me here!"

"I can't?" Slade asked, "I do believe, I'm your legal guardian, am I not?"

Robin looked at him oddly, when Slade continued, "Oh, wait... I'm sorry, I'm your alter ego's legal guardian."

Slade ripped the mask from Robin's face to reveal Dick Grayson's desperate and frantic eyes underneath. He took off his own mask as well to reveal the face of Grant Wilson. It was all so much to comprehend.

"How...?" Robin asked, unsure of what else to say, to ask... his head hurt from all that was happening, coming into place...

"It's easy to change your legal name, Robin," Slade explained, "Slade, Grant, it's not that big of a change. I already knew Adeline and, despite the additional persons that came with her inclusion, replacing portions of Wayne's will with his parents' to include her... well, I'm sure you remember the hacker from two months ago. All it takes is a little chaos for no one to realize that someone has gone in and updated a few bits of information."

Robin watched as the mastermind kept his back to him, wondering what Slade would say next, "I don't care about that! You're insane and I'll never be your apprentice! You can't make me!"

"You should care," Slade said calmly, "Escape and your identity... let's just say it would be worthless."

Dick attempted to keep a stiff face, as though he wasn't worried, but Slade continued, "And even without that, escape would be futile, to be cliche'. You're in the middle of a forest and... I know it well enough to be able to bring you back."

Dick watched as Slade turned to face him, to see what sort of expression was plaguing the Teen Wonder. Dick just stared at him. All of this time. It had been Slade, his rival, his arch enemy. And he had never stopped to really consider... Had he never wanted it to be Slade? Was he looking for some sort of scapegoat? No. He hadn't been. Had he avoided bringing Slade as a possibility up? He didn't know.

But here he was, explaining the entire thing. The whole plan. The robberies. The killings. The hacker's part. Everything. He was the mastermind. The head behind it all. The man that had plagued the Titans since practically day one. It had been Slade. And now, he was finally seeing Slade without the mask. For years he had wondered if he would ever recognize the man and now that he did, he wished he couldn't. That he didn't know that it was Grant Wilson, formally Slade Wilson. Not that big of a difference. Not much at all. He was still missing an eye. The right one. Like always...

Finally, he asked a question, "You've always been 'Slade'?"

Slade turned and saw the bitter reality setting into Robin's face. He replaced the mask onto Robin's face and as he put his own back on, he answered simply, "Yes, my name has always been 'Slade'."

Robin dropped his head slowly, looking at the ground as the ties on his wrists and legs kept him from running off. Then again, he didn't think he could run even if he tried; who was he kidding? Slade walked around behind him and watched as the teen began to face reality.

"You take this the wrong way, Robin," Slade told him, "You ought to be thrilled. We start training tomorrow morning."

Suddenly Robin felt the same fear that had always hit him and the panic that came with it, "What?"

Slade turned around and answered, "Did you think that I would wait?"

"I'm not doing it! You can't force me to do anything!" Robin yelled.

But he didn't get the chance to add to it as Slade lunged out and landed a solid kick to Robin's ribs, causing the Boy Wonder to fall over to the side, his chest starting to bruise. He gasped and his faced scrunched up as his lungs reacted felt the sudden impact. Slade stood over Robin with little sympathy.

"I'd suggest that you change that attitude of yours, Robin," Slade said, his voice dangerously close to being called angry, "Like it or not, you will be my apprentice and, as I've said in the past, you'll learn to like it."

Robin bit his lip, but managed to look Slade in the eye before Slade turned and snapped at the doors. They opened and a few Sladebots came in and grabbed Robin by the arms. They started to drag him across the floor, when Slade held out a hand, motioning for them to stop. Slade grabbed Robin's ankle and yanked the now bloody shoe from Robin's foot and examined it as Robin gasped in pain. Slade saw the remaining glass within the skin and the cuts that marred it.

"We'll have to take care of that," Slade said, "Take him to his room."

Robin began to struggle against the Sladebots but it was no use, "You killed Bruce, Slade! I won't do it! You can't make me!"

The doors shut behind the screaming teen and Slade was left alone in the room. He went over to the dining table where he opened a can of Coke, hoping for an upswing in energy. He walked over to the windows that he had coated to not allow outsiders to get a good view, and watched the rain fall. It sounded worse than it was, out in the woods. He liked it like that though, that sort of sense of danger.

He looked down through his mask and found himself realizing that he hadn't gotten the chance to wear it in a while. It was good to have that opportunity back. He pulled off the mask and looked at it. It really was all about fear, wasn't it? A game like that, that only relied on scaring others, he could play, easy. But he liked a challenge, he always had.

And so it had finally come. It had been easy to set up the pieces, just time consuming. He had been ready. It was Robin who he had been waiting for. Slade had known that the revelation of the truth behind the past months would have been a shock and instant repulsion for Robin, but he could overcome that. He had every advantage. It was now a matter of not getting overconfident.... Though he had to admit, things had worked out well so far.

Slade smiled.

He finished his drink and went over to a small trash bin to dispose of it. He had had the advantage of being off the radar. But that had all changed. He could now move in on a full frontal assault, taking every strategic move he could to get what he wanted.

He would have Robin as his apprentice and no one was going to tell him otherwise.

Slade walked over to the computer and put into hibernate mode, before leaving the room as the fire continued to crackle. On the opposite end of the estate, Robin struggled against the Sladebots, hoping to free himself somehow... somehow. Robin started to roll his eyes when a door opened and he was tossed headlong into the room. He grunted, but felt the Sladebots lifting his wrists and suddenly, he was free from his bounds. If only he could actually move...

Slowly, Robin pulled his arms to his front, surprised at how sore they were and how stiff they had become in maybe an hour's worth of time... The door shut behind the Sladebots and a small light came on inside of the room. Robin held out an arm to cover his eyes. He gasped and managed to somehow get to his knees again. This room was smaller than the last room, but it was big enough. At least there was a bed...

Robin dragged himself over to the bed and rested his head against it. He wasn't sure what was hurting more. His head or his body in general. With so much going on... He pulled himself up on the bed, wanting rest, but his mind wouldn't let him come anywhere near it. The images kept coming back. From before.

The probes inside of his friends. The feeling of the uniform he had to wear. The constant beatings and how he couldn't relax. He was always tense. Always worried. And then every time after that, Slade had grown to seek him out from the rest to extract some form of revenge. He had never said this to anyone, but that's what it felt like. All of his suspicions had seemingly been confirmed when the dust incident had occurred.

It was like Slade had infiltrated his mind and had been able to say exactly what would freak him out, scare him, petrify him the most. At some point, Robin had even wondered if he was dreaming it all or not... Kind of like right now. Robin felt like he was floating, but falling. His friends flew out of his grasp while Bruce's gravestone crumbled. And above him, Slade's symbol created a cage that kept him from escaping. And then her voice...

_"If you are truly evil, than go ahead, do what you must."_

Not again... Robin turned to see Starfire opposite him, screaming in pain. Not again... Robin fell to his knees as Starfire disappeared. He felt just as helpless as before. No one knew what Slade did to him, the type of things Slade made him relive. Every failure, every imperfection, every dissatisfaction... Robin opened his eyes and gasped. It was still dark outside and the rain kept beating on the roof. He saw from the corner of his eye the ever threatening weather clash against the growth of nature. And he knew he couldn't break open the window. He knew it perfectly well.

The Teen Wonder yelled and got up, running at the door with all his strength. He slammed into it and banged against it with his fists over and over again before finally falling back to the ground. His breaths came in quick now. It was all happening again...

A massive headache came on and Robin brought himself back over to the bed, where he went back to rest. He could only wait, couldn't he? Wait for whatever it was that Slade was planning. It wasn't like he could do anything now, anyway. Robin shut his eyes again. He had to sleep, rest, whatever... He couldn't let Slade win. Not after everything. Not after what he had put him through before and certainly not after what he did to Bruce. Bruce...

He couldn't fail him.

He knew it would kill him if he did.

-T-

**A/N:** Sighs, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter! Now the fun begins, doesn't it? Hahaha! Sorry, sorry, I guess I'm still a little hyped up from Halloween. But I mean, seriously, that's the one day where you can be anything you want to be. It's amazing! Why we don't have more holidays like that, I don't know! But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm sorry that it's late, but thank goodness my schedule is opening up again. Hope you're rocking the world! Later!

Rena


	28. Chapter 28: Circumstances

**Disclaimer:** Sure, I totally own them. Just like I own Harry Potter. So yeah, I really don't own anything… No Titans, no Harry Potter, no nothing…

**Author's Note:** So this is about a week later than normal… I hope you can forgive me for that. I've been super busy this month and have barely gotten the chance to even breathe. But I finally got this chapter done and thus it is up. And of course since the holidays are coming up, I'll have plenty of time now to work on further installments and maybe even a few one shots, though I'm sure you're all thinking, 'no, work on Custody!', lol. But yeah, so here's the new chapter and I hope that you all enjoy it! "Chapter Twenty-Eight: Circumstances"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Circumstances**

There were only so many things that could register in his head when Robin first woke up. The first of many was that he was sore till no tomorrow. Robin groaned as he stretched as best as he could. That's when the second thing registered, his feet. Clenching his teeth, he sat up and pulled his foot forward and saw it was caked with dry blood and swollen. He wasn't looking forward to what this would lead to. Robin looked out the window and saw that the sun had risen slightly, but a fog still covered the land as the leaves remained wet and damp. That didn't improve his mood.

As he looked outside, he tested the window. It seemed sturdy enough on the edges. He pressed his hand against the glass and that's when he noticed it, the electric field on the other side. There went a very simple escape attempt. Suddenly the door opened and the bright light from the hallway streamed into the room, halted only by a figure's presence. Robin turned around to see Slade in full uniform standing in the doorway. He frowned instantly.

Slade walked forward and said, "Morning."

Robin said nothing. Like he had to.

Slade rolled his eye and looked down at Robin's foot, "You want to take care of that?"

The teen glared at him, but said nothing. Slade wasn't going to take this sort of insolence and instead grabbed Robin by the arm and proceeded to drag the boy from his room. Slade wasn't about to wait now, was he?

"Let go!" Robin yelled, struggling to free himself.

"Oh, now you speak up," Slade said sarcastically.

They passed through a couple halls before Slade opened a lab door and shoved Robin inside. Robin stumbled inside as Slade shut the door. In the center of the room was a chair with an incandescent light illuminating it from above, giving it a ghostly disposition. Slade walked over to it and motioned for Robin to sit down. The teen eyed the chair suspiciously. It didn't help hearing the water running in the background and seeing a tray of tools being brought into view.

Slade looked up at him seeing that he hadn't sat down yet, "Do you want that glass out of your foot or not?"

The boy winced and grudgingly sat down in the chair. That was when he realized his mistake. Instantly, clamps emerged from the chair and pinned his wrists, waist, and legs to the chair. Robin looked up at Slade and then at the clamps, all the while struggling to get free.

"What is this, Slade?" He demanded to know.

Slade watched as Robin struggled fruitlessly. He bent down and found Robin's ankle, which he held tightly. Robin looked at him extremely confused and panicked.

"There's no need to be worried, Robin," Slade told him.

"I beg to differ!" Robin yelled, "There's always a reason to worry with you around. Let me out of here! You can't keep me..."

Slade chuckled, "You still seem to have the wrong idea in your head, Robin. Perhaps I haven't been clear."

Slade looked at the traces of glass that dug into the soul of Robin's foot. Robin shuddered and shook his head. Slade released him and picked up the tweezers and pick.

"You don't have a choice in this," Slade said.

"Just because I'm your ward doesn't mean..."

"You never have," Slade said, as he gripped Robin's foot again, "This will probably hurt."

Robin fidgeted and squirmed, but despite this, he felt the shards instantly sting again and he cried out in pain. Slade let him. And then the pain died down, but left a dull ache in his foot and ankle. Robin dropped his head, panting.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"I thought that I was helping you," Slade said.

"Without dulling the pain when I know you could?" Robin asked back.

Slade smiled under the mask, "Your insolence earned you this."

He gripped Robin's foot again and Robin realized what was coming next, "Stop! Don't!"

The glass began to move again and Robin screamed, "_Ahhhhhhhh!!!"_

The pained died again and Robin shook his head as he looked down at Slade, who seemed undisturbed by this, "You've never had a choice in this or any other matter."

Robin looked him in the eye as Slade stood up and carried the glass shards over to the counter.

"Once your parents died..." Robin brought his head up... his parents?

"You lost everything," Slade said simply, "And yes I know about them, Robin. It was all over the news, after all."

He walked back over to Robin who had taken to not looking at Slade. He wasn't going to do what he thought Slade was doing. Don't bring them into this... please...

"They loved you, didn't they?" Slade asked.

Robin wouldn't answer. Slade was taunting him. He couldn't let it affect him, couldn't...

"And when you lost them, you lost everything," Slade finished.

Robin looked up at him, "I didn't."

Slade shrugged, "You're angry about it, about everything."

Slade watched as Robin looked at him. He knew the boy was trying to figure him out, figure out what Slade was leading him to. Not that he could till it happened.

"You're angrier than I am."

Slade kept his surprise from showing. That was... good... he had to admit. Ah well, he only had so much time.

"But you can't do everything that I can," Slade countered and continued, "You couldn't save Bruce. You're stuck here. And you're trying to be something you're not made out to be."

He grabbed Robin's foot again and held a towel soaked in rubbing alcohol to his foot and instantly Robin felt the searing pain of the antiseptic burning into his foot. He kicked and shoved, shaking his head while biting his lip.

"I think I've said it before, but you can't save a city, when you can't save yourself," Slade finished, releasing Robin's foot and throwing the now pinkish-red towel back to the sink.

He walked over to the cabinet to pull out sterile gauze. Robin closed his eyes. How had Slade known about the... He shouldn't be so surprised. Slade had probably been the one to manufacture the dust anyway. Yeah, he was smart. Robin opened his eyes as Slade grabbed his foot yet again and began to wrap it in the gauze. It was tight, but loose enough to move around.

"So my question for you then, Robin..." Slade trailed off as he taped off the gauze.

He caught hold of Robin's chin and forced to boy to look him in the face, "Is this such a bad circumstance?"

Instantly, he released him and the clamps holding Robin down opened as did the door.

Robin looked around and then back at Slade, "Yes."

The teen wonder got up and began to sprint out. Slade stayed behind for a moment. While he wondered how many times Robin would do this and realize that it was a useless action, he had to admit, that went well for the first 'pep talk' so to speak. It was all about planting the seeds of doubt and letting Robin know who was boss right now. He'd get to the rest later. He left the room finally to follow Robin, not even bothering to run.

Robin on the other hand, did indeed run. He wasn't going to stay here and despite the fact that his foot was still swollen, at least it wasn't searing pain anymore. He ran down the hallways, often coming to dead ends or to rooms with little to offer. As he sprinted down the halls, he didn't notice an even lighter sounding footstep coming from the opposite direction until it was too late.

**_Smack!_**

Robin fell back, his head pounding. He rubbed his head and opened his eyes to see another person opposite, also on the ground holding her head. Robin's eyes widened at the site of her.

"Ms. Kane?" He asked.

Adeline looked up at him in shock, "Robin, The Robin? How..."

Robin looked behind him and got to his feet, offering her a hand up, the automatic reaction kicking in, "Ms. Kane, we've got to get out of here. Come on..."

He began to run in the same direction, but stopped as his hold on her hand slipped. Robin looked back to see Ms. Kane standing still, looking at him sadly.

"Ms. Kane?" He asked.

Adeline bit her lip. Her head still hurt from running into him, but one question kept coming to her mind, "How do you know my name?"

Robin gaped at her. Why wasn't she moving or trying to get away? Didn't she know about Slade?

"Ms. Kane, we've got to... Why aren't you?" Robin began, when a figure emerged from around the corner and his chest tightened in response.

Slade came forward and Ms. Kane turned around, "I see you two have met, or rather, re-met."

"Slade, what game are you playing at?" Ms. Kane asked, "And what is Robin... Did you say, 're-met'?"

Adeline looked over at Robin, who had taken up a fighter's stance, ready to fight Slade if need be. But that's when it hit. The hair, the facial structure, working out, the timing...

"Dick?" She asked, the bewilderment apparent on her face.

Robin looked at her and after a moment, gave a brief nod. Adeline gaped at him as Slade stepped forward.

"I do believe that I wasn't finished with you yet, young man," Slade said, stepping forward and grabbing Robin by the arm, despite Robin's protests.

"Slade, what are you doing?" Adeline demanded.

"My ward and I have to have a little talk, if you don't mind, Adeline," Slade explained.

Robin was so out of the loop, "Wait, why's Ms. Kane here? What's going..."

Slade smacked Robin across the face, startling Adeline, but not enough to keep her stunned for long. Instantly, her hand curled up into a fist and she aimed it directly at Slade, but he caught it easily and forced it to the side.

"Now, now Adeline," Slade said.

"Don't you dare..." Adeline began.

"Dare what?" Slade asked, "If my facts are straight, it's not exactly your place to make any demands."

Robin looked up. He was both confused and impressed. Impressed at the fact that Adeline had just taken her shot at Slade without hesitation. Confused as to what Slade was talking about.

"Ms. Kane...?" He started, "What's she doing here? She's not dead?"

Slade looked down at Robin and then between the two, "No, she's been here the entire time."

"The entire...?" Robin looked over at Ms. Kane, "But I thought... Ms. Kane, is that true?"

"Dick it's not that easy..." Adeline asked, suddenly furious, "Slade, you sly...."

"Call me what you like Addie, it's not going to get you anywhere," Slade interrupted, "Now if you don't mind, Robin and I have to discuss his attitude issue."

Adeline looked like she was about to say something, but stopped, holding her tongue as Slade walked past her.

Slade once again picked up Robin by the arm and released Adeline's fist, "We'll join you for dinner tonight."

Robin pulled and tugged against Slade's grip, to no avail as he watched Adeline disappear from site. Adeline stood frozen in the hallway, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Dick was Robin? What was Slade doing? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. And Robin's face... what must he be thinking? Adeline brought a hand to her head. Things couldn't get much worse. But that's where she was wrong.

Robin felt his feet slide out from underneath him as Slade dragged him down the hall, "What was Ms. Kane doing here? I thought that you, hey!"

Slade opened a door and tossed Robin inside, slamming the door behind him. Robin looked up to see a small glass window in the door and ran to see what Slade was doing. Was he just going to leave him here or what? But then again, he was the hero here. He should be rescuing her from whatever craziness Slade had imposed on her. He ran to the door and banged on it loudly.

"I want answers! I thought you killed everyone! What's Ms. Kane doing here?" Robin yelled through the door.

Slade walked over to a small panel and without much interest answered, "I never said that I killed _everyone_, Robin. Ms. Kane is here because I extrapolated circumstances. I couldn't kill her, but I needed her out of the way in order to gain custody of you."

"That means... I'm not your ward! Ms. Kane's still my guardian!"

"She's been declared dead, Robin," Slade clarified, "Therefore, you are my ward."

Robin looked at Slade through the window, "Why's she staying here? Why won't she leave? Doesn't she know about you?"

"That is none of your concern," Slade said, bringing a gage up in level.

"What are you doing?" Robin demanded to know.

The teen looked inside the room. What was this place? Everything was made of wood, a deep oak. The walls, the furniture, with small one inch pieces cut out letting air vent in... Or out. In the center was a pit of rocks on the floor with a small sink surrounding them and sometime between the time he had been shoved in here and now, Robin had begun to... perspire...

"Slade!" He yelled.

"Don't worry, Robin," Slade told him, "You won't be in there for long. This is just a consequence of your behavior earlier."

"What?" Robin asked. What was Slade getting at?

"I will not tolerate rudeness," Slade explained, "I'll be back in half an hour."

With that, Slade walked off and out of Robin's site. A red light turned on and Robin turned to the center of the room where the rocks. Was he... in a sauna? He walked towards the rocks and held out his hand, instantly feeling the heat coming from them. He backed away, tentatively, but somehow he wasn't too worried. Slade had put him in a sauna. How bad could it be? He slid down onto one of the benches to wait. Bruce had taught him how to deal with this sort of thing before and he'd been fine. They'd gone to the equator for that one. Robin shook his head. That had been fun, somewhat. The sights were nice, apart from the temperature.

He decided to lie down. Additional body heat from close contact wouldn't help him, not that he thought he needed to do so in the first place. He glanced over at the center pit of rocks, watching how they began to glow, when suddenly, the fountain sprayed water on top and a mass amount of steam filled the room. Robin turned away as the steam came his way. He felt the blistering hot air hit him and he made an effort to not be affected by it. And so went the pattern.

After what felt like hours of passed time, Robin finally looked down at himself, which was now a challenge since he was slightly dizzy from a headache. His shirt and pants clung to him because of his sweat and he could feel his hair grab his neck. As he tried to move, he felt the bruise from the night before tingle with pain. What was Slade trying to do? He could just about promise that Slade had been turning up the temperature, but at this point, the more forefront thought on his mind was how to stay cool. He debated taking off his shirt, but at the same time, he wondered if it would be better to keep his sweat on him rather than let it evaporate quickly.

He heard the fountain turn on again for another steam cloud to engulf the sauna. Robin's eyes shot open. Of course! The fountain. Rolling off of the bench to the floor and onto his knees, Robin pulled his shirt off and tentatively crawled over to the fountain. The next time... He put a hand down to the ground to steady himself, his other still holding his shirt. Now he knew what it was like being stuck out in the middle of a desert. He heard the system turn on and he quickly sat upright, holding his shirt in front of the fountain's mouth. The hot water sprung out and caught in his shirt and Robin smiled. As it turned off, he brought his shirt up to his face.

That's when the smile disappeared. Gasping, Robin tossed the shirt away from him and across the room. It was also blistering hot and he didn't know which one was worse, the air or the water. But not even this revelation proved to be the worst or the most shocking. Within ten minutes, Robin was sure of it, he actually preferred the drenched T-Shirt to the room's temperature. It was getting to be that bad. What kind of... What was Slade trying to prove with this? That he wasn't to be rude? Well yeah, that was doing a fine job of it now. The only thing that he was certain of at that moment was that he was learning how to hate Slade's guts all over again.

Robin kept his shirt on top of himself, dabbing his face when need be. It was an odd sensation, to be baking in the midst of such moist air. He stayed on the floor, not moving unless he had to while his face became a deep red. Just when he was wondering how long he had actually been inside of this place, the door swung open and the boy wonder felt a breeze of cold air hit him instantly, chilling him. He looked up to see Slade walking into the room. For a moment, they didn't say anything to one another. They just stayed there, looking at the other.

Eventually Slade shrugged, "Do you want to get out, or should I leave you in there for another couple hours?"

That did it. Instantly, Robin got up and walked out of the room. He was extremely cold, shivering now and even his hot shirt wasn't doing him any good as he pulled it back on. Glancing to his left, he saw a small pad next to the room. He squinted and jumped back when he saw it read 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

"What are you trying to do to me?" Robin demanded to know.

Slade glanced over at him and grabbed Robin by the shirt, dragging him back over to the room. The boy wonder resisted, causing his feet to dig into the ground.

"Slade, stop!" Robin stopped as Slade looked him in the eye.

Robin felt his stomach drop.

"Revise that tone of yours," Slade told him coolly, the words hitting Robin hard.

And though he didn't want to, he did, "What, what was that?"

"A sauna room, but on an extremely high level," Slade said, "You were only in there for an hour and a half or so."

Robin felt his jaw drop, but he soon brought it back up. He wasn't going to let Slade get away with throwing him in there AND seeing his shock. So Slade wanted him to be more respectful. Big deal. It seemed that Slade was pretty lenient anyway. For a moment, Robin considered what complying would invoke. Sure, he wouldn't be put back inside of a human oven, but would Slade get worse? Probably. Would he get worse anyway? Again, the answer was 'probably'.

Slade looked at Robin, watching as the boy realized what was going on here and his current situation. Releasing him, Slade turned his attention to the pad and turned the sauna room off. Robin stood, not looking at him, which was fine. He wasn't too concerned with it. He nodded over to the right and walked off. Within seconds, he heard Robin sigh and follow him. They walked back to what had become Robin's room, where Slade opened the door and allowed for Robin to walk inside. A nice set of clean clothing was on the dresser, but other than that, it was all the same.

"Dinner will be in an hour. Here," Slade said, tossing a small card over to him, "It will get you out and into the bathroom across the hall."

"I thought that you said that I was only in there for an hour," Robin responded, dinner being the last thing from his mind.

"I never said that you woke up early," Slade clarified, "One hour."

Robin glared at him as the door shut behind him. He looked down at the card in his hand. Well... he was hungry... He grabbed the clothes and used the card to open his own door. Glancing around to his left, he noticed a door open. The bathroom, of course. He walked down and looked inside. Pretty plain, nothing special. But then a thought hit him. If he was already out... Dropping the clothes, Robin ran down the hall only to find a dead end. He had been sure...

The boy wonder sprinted down the opposite end only to find that the other side was also closed off. So the card didn't just open the bathroom and his door. It also closed off any exits. Nice... Practically sulking back to the bathroom, Robin did realize that he did feel rather disgusting, considering that he had been sweating for at least an hour in the sauna. Closing the door, Robin took a shower and got ready for dinner. At least while he was in the shower he could quench his thirst that had arisen from being in the sauna for so long. Just as he finished combing out his hair, he heard a knock on the door. But of course upon opening it, he saw no one that he wanted to see.

Wintergreen.

Wonderful.

"Dinner," He announced.

Robin glared. Oh yeah, long time no see. He had met Wintergreen when he had been Slade's apprentice before. Robin hadn't hated him, but somehow, knowing that he was helping all of this move along didn't make him like him much either. Robin strode back to his dresser and threw on the sweater before coming back, ready. Wintergreen walked down the hall in front of Robin and just when Robin didn't think that the halls were going to end any time soon, they reached a set of mahogany doors.

Upon opening them, his eyes caught the giant room where he had been last night. The fireplace was going and the long dining table was set for three. The first person he caught sight of was Slade, of course, but off to his left by the windows was Ms. Kane. Slade had changed into semi-casual clothes while Ms. Kane was wearing a long black skirt and a red blouse. When she turned to see the source of the sound, Robin saw her stance stiffen, like she was uncomfortable.

"About time," Slade said, without much interest, "Shall we?"

Robin looked over at the table as did Adeline. Slowly, they both walked over to their seats, Robin on Slade's left, Adeline on his right. Slade sat at the front of the table casually, when he snapped at Robin. The boy wonder looked up at Slade confused when Slade pointed at his eyes.

"No masks at the table, Dick," His tone laced with satisfaction.

Robin looked at Ms. Kane across from him and then, carefully, slowly, removed the mask to reveal his blue eyes. Adeline repressed the urge to swallow hard. It was him. She had been hoping that it wasn't. Wintergreen brought out a delectable set of dishes which were mostly eaten in silence, but was murderous for the two guests. The only sounds came from forks and knives hitting the plates and the occasional clatter of the glasses on the table. Slade was the only one who didn't seem to mind it. And it seemed that it would remain that way for the whole meal, until near the end when Dick finally spoke.

He placed his utensils down and looked at Slade and then Ms. Kane, "I'd like an explanation, if it's not too much to ask. How do you two know each other? And why are you here?"

"I believe it's pretty self explanatory," Slade answered, cutting Adeline off.

She glanced at him, "No, it's not really. I'd like to know what Dick is doing here and what game are you playing, Slade."

Dick looked up at her and then at Slade, surprised that she had been so blunt and unaffected by him. Slade finished his bite before looking up at her. "You've been declared dead, Adeline. Dick has become my ward, thanks to your will," Slade said, "As I said, self-explanatory."

"That doesn't answer my questions," Dick muttered.

Slade glanced over at Dick and got up from his seat. Dick straightened up and held his arms up in defense, but it didn't really do any good when Slade grabbed his shoulders and forcefully pushed him into the back of the chair.

"Hey!" Adeline yelled, "Stop it! I… Ah, Dick, you've… you've been Robin this whole time?"

Robin looked between Slade and Adeline and nodded slowly. She swallowed and looked up at Slade, "And you… that's why you wanted? What are you going to do to him?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Adeline," Slade said shortly.

"Don't I get any say in – Ow!" Slade pushed Robin's chair in, pinching his fingers that had been on the arms of the chair.

"Don't interrupt," Slade inserted.

"Let me go!" Robin yelled.

"Slade Wilson, let him go," Adeline said fiercely.

They looked at each other for a moment, both as stubborn as each other, their eyes never wavering. Robin felt the tension in the room, but tried to keep a calm steady pace. Adeline glared at Slade coldly while Slade watched her with reluctant admiration. Finally, he began to chuckle and released Robin from his grip, who instantly got up and backed towards the door he had entered from.

"What is she doing here?" Robin said, after making sure it was safe to talk, "I thought you killed everyone… And if you know Slade… why would you stay?"

They quickly glanced at each other, Adeline angry, Slade irritated. Eventually, Adeline relented in continuing their glaring contest and turned her attention back to Dick, trying to find the right words to explain it.

"Dick I…"

"We have an agreement," Slade inserted, "That's all there is to it."

Dick stared at them incredulously, "An agreement…. An agreement?"

Adeline started again, "Dick, it's not as simple as you think…"

"It's not as simple as I think?!?" Dick yelled, "You're letting him… kidnap me legally by staying here and out of the GCPD's eye! All for some… stupid agreement? Yeah, I think I get it just fine."

Dick turned to leave and stormed out. As much as he hated the estate in general, he was at least grateful that Slade had given him a room to go to. But his actions panicked Adeline. After shooting one last angry glance at Slade, she raced down the hall to find Dick.

"Dick! Dick, wait!" She called as she saw him up ahead.

She put a hand on his shoulder, which he immediately shook off and spun around to face her.

"What?" He asked harshly.

"Dick… Dick, I…" Adeline started, but seeing the malice made her pause. She was going to hate telling him this, "Dick… Please, understand… The agreement… It has to do with, with one of my sons."

Adeline paused and waited for Dick's reaction, not looking up at him. She knew exactly what she had just said. She was choosing one of her sons over him. What a heroine she was. And yet his reaction… Surprised her.

"He… knows about one of your sons?" Dick asked.

She looked up at him and nodded. Dick looked at the floor. So that's why… "And he won't tell you unless you stay here?"

She nodded again.

He was slow to respond, but deliberate, "Alright… I understand."

"Dick, I don't, I don't want you to think that your safety doesn't concern…"

"It's alright," Dick cut her off, holding his arms up to pause her sentence, "I can take whatever Slade throws at me. I have before."

"But it's not… it's not fair to… I mean, Dick, I'm sorry…" She finally stated, because she was. She couldn't express that enough.

Dick looked at her, a seed of pity in his chest, "Don't be. It would have happened even without your involvement. Slade would have made sure of it."

Adeline nodded slowly, but somehow, the weight and guilt in her gut wouldn't subside. Finally she looked up at him, suddenly seeing a side of him she had never seen before. The level at which he was handling this… Like an adult, and yet he was still just a teenager… It amazed her.

"You're… you're probably right, but, still, I'm really, really sorry Dick…" She said, "I'll help you however I can."

The teen nodded at her, "Thank you."

He turned to continue back to his room, hoping that it would be a quiet evening for the rest of the night.

Adeline watched him and heard him call back, "See you in the morning."

"Okay…" She whispered.

She sighed. What a kid…. She never knew… It amazed her. However, when Dick was out of sight and out of ear's range, that's when she heard the slow clapping. Turning around swiftly, she saw Slade coming out from around the corner. Her feelings of relief quickly vanished.

"Impressive," Slade said.

"What are you trying to do, Slade?" Adeline asked venomously.

Slade laughed, amused by her personality and how predictable she could be at times, "Is it a crime to be a spectator?"

"No, but it sure is egotistical," Adeline answered.

Slade smiled and walked up behind her, "You're not that mad at me."

Adeline folded her arms and replied looking away, "That sure is up for debate."

The mastermind sighed and relented, "Adeline, listen, I regret having to be…"

"Deceitful? Underhanded?" Adeline filled in the blanks as she turned to face him, "Yeah, so am I."

With that, she stormed off down the hall. Slade watched her go before calling back to her, "Addie."

At that, Adeline froze and her face hardened. She whisked around to look at him angrily, but before she could say a word, he had already continued.

"It's not as bad as you're making it out to be," Slade said.

"Oh sure it isn't," Adeline lashed out sarcastically, "And don't call me 'Addie.'"

She turned and continued down the hall, trying as hard as possible to be unperturbed by his antics. But all the same, she was and she was horrified by it. Amazed and confused… She shook her head as reached her own room. What a mess, what an utterly disorderly mess. And somehow Slade seemed to see this whole mess as something organized. Though she didn't see it herself, she was sure it was, too.

Adeline didn't know why Slade wanted Dick —Robin. Robin. She… she was going to have to get used to that. Wait, did that mean that Bruce had been… Batman? Adeline felt her eyes widen. That was certainly a… huge possibility. She felt her legs go weak. Her own cousin… But still, why Slade had wanted custody of Robin eluded her. She knew that they had both worked out in Jump City and had probably and undoubtedly clashed. But what about the rest of the heroes out there? Why Robin?

She sat down. Her head hurt, but she knew she'd figure it out eventually. She always had. Off in another corner of the estate, Dick sat down on his bed as well and lied down, trying to get some rest. Well, the first day was done. That was good. While Ms. Kane's and Slade's connection was still a mystery, he could only assume that they had met in the past, maybe when Ms. Kane was in the U.S. Army. When that idea hit, he had a very hard time at first seeing Slade as a soldier. And yet it made sense the more he thought about it. He could see Slade as a soldier. If anything, that's what he had always been, other than a ruthless terrorist, of course. And it only sparked more questions…

The only one who seemed to have all of the answers was Slade and Slade knew it. It gave him a certain sense of pleasure knowing that, too. In the main entry hall where dinner had taken place, he sat at one of the couches, casually finishing some files on a lap top. Closing it, he went over to one of the cabinets to put it away. Inside were a few books, flash drives, and various other memorabilia. He took out a small leather bound notebook and opened it, when a small slip of paper slid out and onto the floor.

He bent down to pick up the small square sheet and brought it up to the light. The one silky side faced him and he saw the photo's occupants gaze back at him. It had been the middle of the summer. They had been down at Washington DC's mall and the day had been hot, so he could see traces of sweat on their figures. One person, the woman, had her arms wrapped around the man's neck as she leaned on his back. She was smiling as he held her arms with his hands. He was smiling too. Slade put the old photo back inside of the journal and walked back over to the couch to write.

He took a pen and scribbled down a short paragraph, as his time for this tonight was short. He closed it quickly and returned it to its proper place. He looked back over at the doors that led to the rest of the estate. It had gone better than he had expected and that could only keep his plan right on track.

-T-

**A/N:** And thus there is the end… Hm… You know, that was sort of mild in terms of torment compared to my normal standards, lol. So the Robin torment begins and now Adeline is back in the picture. But yeah, I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter! Please review! I know some of you must have been excited about Adeline and I was too, that's for sure. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a good holiday! Still writing over here! Later!

~Rena


	29. Chapter 29: Vignettes

**Disclaimer:** -Looks around- darn! I thought I'd find the copyright to Teen Titans here! And it's no where to be found. Back to the drawing board. As you can see, I don't own Teen Titans. Maybe I should just stick to finding giant rocks...

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm actually updating somewhat on time. Lol. Don't you love the holidays? I love the holidays. I actually have time to write and I was quite surprised at how much I got done. Some of you might have seen this, but I recently posted a new One Shot called "My Bleeding Heart". It's for a different fandom, but it took three months to finish and the theme is generally about love, so if you want to check that out, you may enjoy it. But onto this chapter: And so Robin's woes continue. I guess I should just let you read this now, right? Yeah, I figured. So may I present, "Chapter Twenty-Nine: Vignettes"

-T-

**Custody:**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Vignettes**

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."

Raven had been chanting for the last hour is seemed, but the passage of time didn't affect her. She kept her head covered with her cloak as she levitated in a lotus position. Her room was covered in a mist of shadows while a few candles glowed in her presence. The heater turned on and she looked up, her incantation interrupted. She had to admit it was cold, but even still, it bugged her. Standing up from her position, she covered the candles' rims with her gloved hands and blew them out. Opening the door from her room, she was surprised to see the Tower's hallways almost as dimly lit as her own room.

It was odd to say the least, but with the current circumstances, she couldn't blame anyone for not turning on the lights. Walking down the hall, the empath suddenly sensed another's presence. She glanced over to the nearby door which read 'STARFIRE'. She sighed. The alien of the team seemed to be the one the most affected by all of this. The Tower being shut off and... well, Robin's absence.

"Starfire?" She called, knocking on the door, "You in there?"

Of course she was, but that didn't mean that she would answer, "Come on, Starfire. Can you open up?"

Nothing. Raven folded her arms. She had to come out some time other than when she was to go on duty... "Starfire, I know you're in there."

Silence followed and Raven knocked again. She wished that she wasn't so bad at this sort of thing, "Look, I know you're upset, but... Can't you at least come out?"

In that instant, Starfire opened the door, but she wasn't looking at her friend. It took her a minute until she finally brought her eyes up to see her, "I'm sorry, friend Raven. I was... distracted."

"Oh..." Raven said, trailing off, "Well, that's, that's okay... Are you alright?"

Starfire looked down and then nodded, "I will be fine..."

An awkward air of silence followed. Raven shuffled her feet a bit as Starfire tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Well, I hope you can excuse me, friend," Starfire finally said, "I, um, I need to take a shower."

She walked past Raven to the bathroom. Raven watched her go, wondering if Starfire really had intended on taking a shower or if she was just trying to avoid her. She shook her head and walked in the opposite direction to the front room and found Cyborg, where he always was, at the central computer board of the Tower. Working. The poor guy, he was only getting about four hours of sleep a day at this rate. Generally, he stayed plugged into the charger all day, but his human body still needed the natural rest that came from sleeping. So four hours was what he got.

The rest of them got about eight. Each taking two four-hour shifts for guarding the exterior of the Tower, which was still down from the massive reboot that Cyborg was conducting. She sighed and made herself some herbal tea. As she poured the steaming tea into her mug, she blew on it and walked over to Cyborg, who was hunched over at the screen. She glanced over the screen, most of which didn't make much sense to her.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

Cyborg sighed and sat back, cracking his neck, "Well, it's mostly a lot of security codes that I have to get through and reset. And then to check if the system's reloaded, I plug in all of the passwords and if it stops... well, then I missed something."

"And that's what's stopping you now, isn't?" Raven said, smirking lightly.

Cyborg nodded, "Man, when I get my hands on this hacker... You know, it's one thing to hack in the Tower. I can deal with that, but hacking into my system files at the same time..."

Raven watched as Cyborg slouched over again, "They don't know who they're messing with."

She looked down at her tea and stirred it with her spoon. She was glad that after all of this, Cyborg wasn't too shaken by it. The fact that he was still mad about someone hacking into him, well, that was a positive sign. After everything, with Gotham and the thefts and now this, she was surprised that they were not more rattled. Then again, she had been trying to... calm people's worries down. Not that she told the others. In any case, she felt sorry for whatever poor sap had committed this crime.

"Any idea who did it?" Raven asked.

"Whoever it was, their server wasn't within Jump City limits. But with all the by-passes it had to go through, I'd say that it was still in a pretty densely populated area," Cyborg explained.

"That narrows it down," she remarked sarcastically.

Cyborg rolled his eyes, "I'm working on narrowing down the possibilities at the moment. Right now, I've got that they were in the United States."

"Again, that helps," Raven said, not seeing how useful that really was at this point.

Cyborg shrugged, "There's only so many cities.... Hey look Raven, I need to work on getting this done. Do you think...?"

Raven smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I'm gone. Just get this Tower up and running, allright?"

Cyborg smiled, but he was too tired to really be enthusiastic, "Thanks, Rae."

She nodded and left the room. As the door closed behind her, she thought to herself, 'Now what?' She didn't really want to be a bother to anyone and she could always go back to meditating... She walked back towards her room when she felt a draft. So that's why her room's heating unit had turned on. She walked up towards the roof's door to shut it, but upon reaching it, she glanced through the crack to see Beast Boy sitting out in the cold. It never got too cold in Jump City, but it was still pretty chilly. She looked down and then up again. The door creaked open and she walked out. Beast Boy turned to look at her.

"Oh, hey Rae," He said, "What are you doing up here?"

She shrugged and let her cloak fall around her shoulders, "Nothing really... aren't you cold?"

Beast Boy raised his eyes at first and then laughed, "Only a little. If I ever get too cold, I just shape-shift."

He changed into a tiny kitten and then a large dog before finally changing back into a human being. Raven put up a small smile, though she wasn't entirely convinced. She walked over to Beast Boy and sat down next to him.

"I'm surprised you can still make jokes," she admitted, "After everything..."

"Hey, you know that's all I'm good for," Beast Boy told her.

She sighed, "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Oh, yeah, I'm good for being a guard dog," Beast Boy, shifting into a greyhound and back, "Forgot that one."

Raven rolled her eyes and looked out at the city's landscape, "So how do you keep yourself busy up here?"

Beast Boy shrugged, "I don't know, mostly I bug Cyborg on a walkie. You?"

"Meditate," Raven said simply.

"Should have known," Beast Boy said, leaning back, "You doing allright?"

Raven suppressed a laugh, "I suppose. I'm more worried about Star and Cy though, considering Cy's lack of sleep and Star's... state. How are you doing?"

Beast Boy shrugged, "Aklright, I guess. I just wish there was more that I could do other than be a guard dog."

Raven smiled, "You're not alone in that. I can tell that Starfire's been... dying to get out of here, I'd say. She's worried."

Beast Boy nodded and there was silence for a moment before he realized something, "Wait, have you been going into our minds lately?"

The empath looked up at him panicked, "What?"

"You heard me, you've been messing with our heads!" Beast Boy accused.

"No!" Raven yelled back, "I didn't..."

"Rae," Beast Boy said, casting the shadow of doubt on her word.

"Well, what would you have done?" Raven said standing up, her cloak blowing in the wind, "Star might leave and Cyborg's so... frustrated right now. And..."

"And what?" Beast Boy said.

Raven glared out of the corner of her eyes before answering, "Robin's gone. We're barely holding it together and if the Titans don't..."

Beast Boy eyed her, "What? What happens if we don't keep it together?"

Raven held her arms, "Something bad's coming, Beast Boy. I can feel it. It's like those feelings I had in Gotham, but they're worse. They get worse everyday..."

Beast Boy stood up and walked over to her. He wasn't quite sure what to say or do. His caution was evident and she noticed.

"I guess all I'm trying to say... is what would you do?" Raven asked, turning to him.

"I, I didn't know, I'm sorry," Beast Boy said.

She looked him in the eye, surprised by his answer. He shuffled his feet at the silence, "I, uh, I haven't been doing anything to worry you, have I?"

To her own surprise, Raven found the question a bit ironic. She debated as to whether or not she should answer, "Um, I don't know... You just haven't been very happy lately. That's all I know..."

Beast Boy laughed, "Well no one has. No surprise there. Just wish I could do more, like I said earlier."

"You like feeling useful," Raven stated simply.

"To save a life or be the comic relief," Beast Boy shrugged, trying to be cute, "And I think it's working on you."

Raven shook her head. He was so predictable sometimes. They walked back to the edge of the roof and stared out at the city, which was now past dusk. It was quiet for a while, except for the few seagulls calling out overhead. Beast Boy sighed and stretched.

"You know what's fun?" He asked, glancing at her.

"No," Raven said, "What?"

"This."

Raven felt her stomach drop as she saw Beast Boy lean over and begin to fall off the side of Titans Tower. He waved as he fell farther and faster away from her. Raven leaned over the edge watching. She had regained her first feelings of panic as she remembered that he could fly, but that was quickly escaping her as he plummeted faster and faster towards the ground.

_'Oh come on, change already,'_ She thought.

He was feet away from the ground when she lost it and held out her hand, which glowed of telepathic energy, "Beast Boy!"

And then he was gone.

She jumped off the roof panicked and flew downwards to the ground. She searched around frantically, finding no sign of him. Where had he... what had he...?

"Boo!" He yelled and she nearly screamed as he changed back from being a fly and held onto her neck to keep himself from falling to the ground.

"Oh!" From the corner of the eye, she glared at him, "You..."

She elbowed him in the gut and he fell to the ground, despite the injury, laughing, "You should have seen your face!"

She stood in the air, her arms crossed at him, "It wasn't funny."

"Oh come on," He said, "You knew I'd be allright."

Raven glanced at him. He was smiling and resisting the urge to laugh. For a while, she did nothing, not giving him one reaction even as he got up to look for some. Finally, she landed on the ground and gave him a final glare.

"Oh, you're useful allright," She said sarcastically, "Useful for giving people heart attacks."

Beast Boy laughed, "That and migraines!"

"That too," Raven said, but before their conversation could go any further, one of the walkies they were using in place of their communicators turned on.

"Titans! Get up here to the meeting room! The Tower's back online!" Cyborg called to them.

They looked at each other and instantly flew up to the top of the Tower. Once Raven reached the window, she flew threw it to reach the meeting room faster. As Beast Boy got to the top of the Tower, he changed back from the hawk and ran to the door.

"That's just cheating!" He called down.

Upon reaching the main hall to the meeting room, he ran into Starfire and they came in at the same time.

"Is it true?" Starfire asked, as they got to the front of the room, "Is the Tower back online?"

Cyborg nodded at her after looking over her appearance, namely her wet hair, "Uh, yeah, Tower's back up and our communicators should be working again."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy yelled, pulling his out, "Yes! My Tetris game is still on!"

Cyborg looked at him and shook his head, "Yeah, because that's so important. Listen, as we get back to a regular sleep schedule, now that I've got more resources, I can get closer to finding our little hacker."

"Hey my high scores are missing!" Beast Boy exclaimed, clearly not paying as much attention as he should to the current situation.

"Friend Cyborg, wait, does that mean that we will be able to reach friend Robin?" Starfire asked.

"I guess so," Cyborg said, shrugging, "Let's see.... if we have any messages..."

Starfire held her hands together, waiting as Cyborg searched up the communicators' files, "Hm... looks like we had one call, but Robin didn't leave a message. Guess he got cut off or something..."

"Do you think we could reach him now?" Starfire asked urgently.

"Uh, I don't know, maybe..." Cyborg trailed off, typing into the computer.

Instantly, the communicator was open in Star's hand and she frantically typed in the code to reach Robin. She let it ring a couple times before she heard the answering machine. She closed it slowly. Raven looked over at her, sympathetically.

"He probably just can't answer right now, Starfire," She said.

"You are..." She started, but paused slightly, "You are probably right."

They waited in silence for a moment before Cyborg finally ended the short and brief meeting, "Alright, y'all. I'm gonna go knock out a couple hours of sleep. But afterwords, you leave it to me. That hacker is mine."

Beast Boy almost laughed, "Don't let me stop you, dude."

Besides, they were all tired and without even really thinking, they dispersed themselves through out the Tower.

-T-

"How confident are you feeling right now, Robin?"

Robin narrowed his eyes, "I'm sure if I answer that I am, you'll downplay that immediately."

Slade chuckled, "True, though you are not, are you?"

"Oh no, I'm totally going to play into your hands and say I am," Robin said as they walked down the hall.

Slade decided not to mention the irony in that last statement as they kept walking. After a moment of silence, Robin finally continued, "So what is it today, anyway?"

He had been stuck in his room for most of the past four days, except for meals and occasional trip to the bathroom. Yeah, Slade had been extremely hospitable. He'd visit once a day, mostly in Robin's opinion to get a daily dose of talking down to him. But today, Robin had gotten the pleasure of getting to come out for a new reason. The new reason though, was still a mystery to him.

"Something I think you'll like," Slade said, opening the doors at the end of the hallway to reveal a large room.

It was mostly clear save for a few pieces of furniture, such as an old couch, a few matching chairs, and a fireplace that didn't look like it had been used in ages. But despite these few pieces of furniture, the room was mostly empty except for a cabinet at the side that Slade was currently opening. The floor was bare and made of well polished wood. All in all the whole place was perfect for....

"Catch," Slade said, tossing Robin a Bo-staff.

He caught it in his hand and looked at it for a moment before smirking, "We're sparring?"

"Still confident?" Slade asked, amused.

Robin shrugged as he tested out the staff, "I think I could enjoy this."

He yelled and ran forward with the Bo-staff, but Slade sidestepped it and grabbed Robin's wrists, halting him in his attack. Robin stared up into Slade's masked face, furious.

"You still planning on enjoying this?" Slade asked, twisting Robin around and throwing him and the staff to the ground.

However, Robin regained his footing and twisted around to face his opponent. Stubbornly, he failed to answer and ran forward, yelling. Slade readied himself as Robin approached. But when he moved to block a frontal attack, Robin moved to the side. He was going to make it, land a hit... So when he felt a kick to his back that he wasn't expecting, he tumbled across the floor until he hit the green couch. Slade moved over, pleased, but Robin wasn't about to stop there. Not after just one shot. He sprinted to his feet and grabbed the fallen Bo-staff in the process. Heading straight for Slade, he looked above Slade's head, though the corner of his eye kept Slade right in his line of sight.

Robin made a move that looked like he'd jump up to hit Slade from above, but before it could be fully executed, he stopped himself and aimed straight at Slade's chest, hoping to catch him off guard. To his surprise again, Slade had seen the move coming with ease and used Robin's own momentum against him, tossing him to the left towards the fireplace. The Boy Wonder yelled as he hit the stone feature of the room.

"Tired yet?" Slade asked.

Robin wiped his mouth and glared up at Slade, angry. He looked around the room, looking for anything that could give him an advantage. None presented itself... Only the Bo-staff... His feet made contact with the floor again and he stood to face Slade. Slade eyed him, watching him closely, when Robin began to run forward once again. He was ready for Robin's next actions. Another frontal assault, when Robin slid past him to the right, finding the Bo-staff in his left hand again. He slid till he found his footing again and then ran towards the couch. Jumping on top of it, he thrust himself at the window before throwing the Bo-staff with all of his strength towards his one escape.

At the moment of contact, there wasn't a single shard and Robin followed the Bo-staff in clattering to the ground in a heap. Slade chuckled and Robin looked up at him. Slade had known that it wouldn't have worked all along. That's why he hadn't bothered to try and stop him...

"It's not going to be that easy, Robin," He said simply, looking down at the boy.

Robin growled and ran at Slade, infuriated, but Slade got a hold of Robin's arms and restrained him, "Get off me!"

"I'm intrigued," Slade told him, "You fight though you know that you can't get out."

"Yes I can!" Robin yelled as he struggled against Slade's grasp, eventually freeing himself and stepping a good few feet back from his enemy.

Slade chuckled, "Really?"

And that's when Robin knew he was in trouble, turning around, it felt like he had only mere seconds before Slade landed a well planned kick to his legs and caught him in a choke hold. Robin squirmed and fought, but it was like being a fish caught on a hook. He kicked and desperately attempted to free himself, but Slade wasn't about to let Robin out of this that quickly.

"It seems to me, your possible escape routes are few in number...."

Outside in the hall, Adeline walked from her room to the front. Her intention was to go read. It was one of the few things that she could do that would get her mind off of her current predicament. Watching TV never felt productive and outside of that and reading there wasn't much to do other than help Wintergreen in the kitchen and around the estate, something Adeline wasn't about to do for the life in her, unless Wintergreen was being overworked, of course. And the one good thing about this place was that Slade's library had to be the most diverse private library she had ever seen. Today it was a book about Alaska. She wished she was_ in_ Alaska, a thousand miles away from hi...

_"Slade!"_

She turned her head up ahead and ran ahead. That was Dick. She knew it was and at that instant, she suddenly felt panicked. At the point where the corridor parted, she took a right instead of a left and ran down to the last door, every moment being able to hear better.

_"Don't be foolish, Robin,"_ She heard.

_"You're crazy!"_

_"Or merely using statistics..."_ She could hear the amusement in Slade's voice now.

She slammed the doors open and found Robin in a headlock, with Slade keeping hold of some of the teen's hair in the other hand. Her mouth dropped and without hesitation, Adeline's hands became fists.

"Slade! Release him! Now!" She yelled.

Slade looked at her as though tired, "Adeline, I'm a little busy right now..."

"What on earth are you doing?" Adeline asked, walking over to him and grabbing the arm that he had around Robin's throat, "Dick, are you okay?"

"Well..." Robin managed to choke out.

"Slade, let go!" She yelled.

"I repeat, I'm little busy," Slade said.

Adeline looked at him, shocked and infuriated, "You let him go or I will make you."

"You're cute when you're angry," He said, and she knew he was smiling under the mask.

"Are my fists cute, Slade?" She asked in response.

Slade considered his options. He knew he could stop both Adeline and Robin easily, but he really didn't want to fight Adeline and it would be simpler to just talk it out with her. He dropped Robin to the ground and Adeline tensed. Robin shook his head and attempted to smile up at her as though he was okay. As though. Slade knew that he was probably feeling a kink in his neck. Slade stepped forward to Adeline and looked behind his shoulder at Robin.

"Practice. Make yourself more of a challenge," Slade told him.

Robin frowned and Adeline glared at him, before he led her outside of the room and closed the door. He leaned against the wall, his arms folded as she walked out, a hand to her chin in thought. There were so many things wrong with this... She turned to see him and he watched her with interest.

"I don't really know where to begin," Adeline said.

Slade shrugged it off and offered an explanation, "Adeline, Robin and I have been fighting for years and that's nothing compared to what..."

"Nothing?" She asked, walking up to him, "Slade, you've got a sixteen year old boy in a choke hold!"

"I learned it from you," He said simply.

"Yeah, well I wish I had never taught you," Adeline answered, turning away, "I mean, what if that was one of... what if that was Gr...?"

"I've left them out of this, Adeline," Slade interrupted.

Her face took on a sour contortion, "No, you haven't. You won't tell me where Grant is and that's why I'm stuck here."

"But they're not in any way going to get harmed," Slade told her.

"But Dick is!" She yelled, "I didn't teach you this to let you..."

But then an idea hit her and she smiled, "I bet I could still deck you."

Slade raised a brow beneath the mask, the conversation having changed course, "Really?"

"Really," Adeline said, turning to face him and walking up to him.

"What are you getting at, Adeline?" Slade asked, they were mere inches away.

"I fight you," She said, "We spar, once a day. If you win or it's a draw by an hour's time, the original agreement stands. If I win, you tell me where Grant is and his situation and you let Dick leave."

Slade mulled it over in his head, making Adeline impatient, "Well?"

"You know, that blouse looks great on you," Slade's velvet voice teased.

"Answer the question," Adeline insisted.

"Technically it wasn't a question," Slade told her.

"Slade," She warned.

Slade chuckled and finally answered, "Allright, you've got yourself a deal, starting tomorrow. But I'm afraid that you really must excuse me, Addie, I've got to get back to work."

Adeline swallowed hard, hating the thought of letting Slade keep doing this, but at the same time, she knew that once Slade set his mind to something, there wasn't anything that was going to stop him. And he had made a promise, gave his word. She knew how much he honored his word. Too much... in fact, in her mind. Slade opened the door and disappeared from view. Adeline stood there for a moment before it hit her.

"Don't call me Addie!" She yelled through the door.

She wasn't sure if he heard her and the silence angered her. She began walking down the hall, picking up the book that she had dropped on the way to the door, her heals clicking as she walked. Adeline then looked at the blouse she was wearing and made a mental note to change and burn the blouse later. Inside the sparring room however, Robin's worries were back and already becoming realities.

"You annoy everyone don't you?" Robin asked, twirling the Bo-staff.

Slade smiled under the mask, "I suppose that's another thing we have in common."

Robin leapt forward, aiming the Bo-staff at Slade's face, though Slade side-stepped it. Slade aimed a kick at Robin's legs, but Robin managed to knock it out of the way with the staff. However he was far from out of the fire. This time they didn't get interrupted and the fight lasted a good twenty minutes. Robin spun around, despite feeling a dizzy spell coming on. But Slade saw it and advanced quickly, causing Robin to trip over his own feet and fall to the ground. Before he could get up, Slade had done it for him, grabbing his wrist and arm.

"You can't escape from here, Robin," He said in the boy's here.

"Don't tell me what I can't do!" Robin yelled.

Slade glared at Robin and dragged the teen to the window. Robin looked outside and saw that it had begun to snow and it was falling rapidly. The overcast sky had darkened the woods to the point that it felt like it was night time outside. He heard the winds blowing against the windows as they hit the house. He saw the trees surrounding the house being rocked as their roots held them to the ground. The leaves flew past them as they were whipped from their hold on the branches. He involuntarily shivered.

"Do you see any lights?" Slade asked.

Robin didn't answer, but there were none to see and Slade continued, "You don't know where you are or where anything else around us is, so I'll tell you. We're in the middle of the woods. There is nothing around for miles. Gotham is over two hours away driving by car at the speed limit. And this house is designed as a fortress."

The Boy Wonder watched the scene revolving around outside, his chances of survival and escape dimmed with every moment, "No one is coming for you. No one even knows to come for you. You're on your own if you want to break out."

"So feel free to try and escape," Slade continued, "But know this: I know these woods, Robin, far better than you do. It would be a fruitless effort on your part. I suggest you reassess your options."

Slade let go of Robin, who stood rooted to the spot. He walked over to the Bo-staff and picked it up. Robin didn't move or bother to notice. Slade smiled. At least that had been drilled into the boy's head. Suddenly, Slade saw Robin's hands ball up, becoming tight and tense. He turned and yelled as he attacked. Slade smiled. Time for a lesson.

"Don't let anger drive you, Robin," He said, sidestepping the attack.

Robin spun around, not even acknowledging what Slade had said. He didn't care that he was angry. He just needed to release it and even if it meant that he'd be beaten by Slade. Slade had been controlling his life, whether he had realized it or not, for the past three months. Every bad thing that had happened to him was Slade's fault and now he was stuck dealing with him in this miserable estate. And what annoyed him most of all, for some reason, the only reason the man had done all of this was because Slade was intrigued by something about him.

He wondered if he annoyed himself in that way... Yes, the immense responsibility and sacrifices of being a hero could be somewhat agitating. But it was all worth it... Robin lashed out to punch Slade in the face when Slade grabbed his fist and snapped it back. Robin gasped and Slade looked at him.

"You just want a fight today," Slade told him, "That's obvious."

He tossed Robin to the ground, "But I assure you, you won't want what's coming. I'd suggest surrendering now."

Robin rubbed the side of his face where he had been elbowed, said nothing, and kept on the sour pout. Slade sighed. He was confusing him, that was for sure, but at least Robin realized his situation. That, Slade was happy about.

"Get up," Slade said, "You need to get changed for dinner."

Robin looked to the ground. Fine whatever. He didn't care. But he wasn't going to surrender. He couldn't. He stood up and walked over to the door, waiting for Slade to open it and lead him back to his room. Slade's masked face was expressionless as he unlocked the door and strode out, the boy following.

-T-

Inside of the apartment, Selina rubbed her arms as she watched the snow fall outside. She stretched and looked over as one of her cats purred. With graceful steps, she slid over and pet the feline's head.

"Yes, yes, I know puddin'," She said, "Just be glad you're not out there."

She walked into the kitchen, putting a few dishes away. She shut the cabinet just as the door of the apartment opened. She looked over to see her friend walking in with the groceries.

"Man! It's cold outside! Those weathermen never get it right," Holly muttered, "I mean, where in the report today was there any sign of snow?"

Selina laughed, "At least the heater is worker this year."

"Oh don't remind me! Last year was like being up at Santa's workshop!" Holly answered.

Holly Robinson and Selina Kyle had been long time friends, who together had slowly worked their way out of poverty. It was a lasting friendship and Holly was perhaps the only one who knew that Selina Kyle was Catwoman. Well, despite Batman and Robin. Selina sighed and proceeded to wash a few dirty dishes before stacking them into the dishwasher.

"What's up with you?" Holly asked, bringing the food in to put it away, "You've been awfully quiet lately... By the way, I love your eyeliner today."

Selina looked over at Holly with a small smile, "Thanks.... I'm just a little worried."

"Why?" Holly asked, opening up a few cans of cat food, "Arkham's getting pretty full last you heard, right?"

"Yeah, but it's been full for a while now," Selina said, trailing off.

"Is it because of Bruce?" Holly asked, her eye raising, "You've been awfully depressed since then, come to think of it."

Selina's lips firmed a straight line, "He was a good man, Holly. One of the few... I just hope Batman and Robin find his killer soon. I want him behind bars."

"Why don't you find him then?" Holly asked.

Selina sighed, "I wouldn't know where to start...."

"Help! Please! Someone!" Selina and Holly heard from outside. A woman.

Selina lept into action. She zipped up the rest of her suit over the thin tank top, as she already had the pants on ready to go, and pulled the goggled mask over. She pushed the window open and grabbed the whip, attaching it to her belt. As she fell out of the window, Holly ran over and looked around.

"Oh yeah! Thanks for leaving the window open!" She yelled, rolling her eyes as she shut it.

A cat meowed next to her and she stared at it before asking, "What are you looking at?"

The cat tilted its head to the side and Holly shook her head as she went to unload the rest of the food. Outside, Catwoman landed on the ground with ease and ran down the street in the direction of the cry. They couldn't be a block away... Then she saw them and she kept herself to the side. She wasn't about to run in headlong without knowing what she was up against.

"Please, please, don't!" The woman yelled, as the three men around her cornered her to a wall.

"We just want your money, pretty lady," One of them said, "I'm sure you have more."

One grabbed her wrist and she yelled, "Stop! Get off! Please!"

"Shut up lady," The second said.

"Unless you want to just hand over it over without a, OW!!!" He yelled.

The whip snapped back, breaking the sound barrier and the three men looked over to see the figure in the shadows approaching them.

"I don't like men like you," Catwoman purred.

They all looked at each other and began to back away from her as she continued, "I'd suggest you'd let go of her before things get ugly."

The first one swallowed hard, but he didn't want to look like a wus, so he did nothing and instead puffed up his chest and answered for his pals incorrectly, "We ain't afraid of you, Cat."

The others started to laugh with the first after a minute or so. Catwoman's eyes narrowed, "Allright tough guys, if that's the way you want it..._Ha!"_

The first one fell to the ground, knocked unconscious as she ran ahead at the other two. She tangled the third in her whip and tossed him to the side into a trash can, after which he immediately fled. As she took care of him, the second one had come up behind her, ready to fight. Selina smiled. She kicked him squarely in the jaw, sending him straight to the ground before landing her boot on his stomach, causing him to cough and choke loudly. Selina jumped off of him and wiped her hands as though to clean them. She walked over to where the first one had fallen and picked up the woman's purse.

"Here," She said, "You shouldn't be walking alone at this time of night."

"I, thank you. I know," She said, "I had to work late tonight."

"Just be more careful next time," Catwoman said, before she heard the second begin to groan again, "Excuse me one second. _Ha!"_

She gave him a good solid kick to the head, knocking him out. The woman jumped back, startled. Catwoman turned back to her, smiling.

"Nothing like a little girl power, huh?" She joked.

The woman nodded quickly and Selina walked over to her, "Listen, why don't you call yourself a cab and get home that way? Alright?"

The woman nodded again and quickly fumbled around her purse for her cell phone. She dialed the numbers and as soon as she got a hold of one of the receivers, Catwoman could tell that she was beginning to calm down. Catwoman waited with her until the cab came, despite the cold. They leaned against a building near a streetlight. The woman, in the light, Catwoman on the outside.

"I can't thank you enough," The woman said again.

"It's no problem," Catwoman answered, "I just don't like men like that."

"Well, still, thank you," She said.

Catwoman shrugged. The woman twiddled her thumbs for a minute before speaking, "You know, when I was running, I was praying that the Batman might show up. Funny how people hope something scary will save them something else."

Catwoman tilted her head down at the next question, "Did you see him?"

She turned her head away, "No. Not lately."

"Oh... Sorry..." The woman said.

Headlights came into view and Catwoman saw the taxi sign above them. She quickly darted into the alley and watched as the woman got into the safety of the taxi. She sighed as the snow fell around her. Well that was simple enough. But it left her once again in her brooding mood. She began walking back to the apartment, coiling up the whip again. She jumped to a fire escape when out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. Selina eyed the shadowed alley way. She shrugged before going off again.

She stopped. Catwoman turned around again. Her eyes narrowed and she jumped down from the fire escape, intent on finding out what was following her. About fifteen minutes later, back at the apartment, Holly had finished putting the groceries away and feeding the cats and was now sitting on the couch curling up as she watched the O.C. Suddenly, the cats started to purr and meow loudly. Holly looked up and at the window that the cats were focusing on. It was beginning to jiggle and Holly immediately realized it was Selina. She ran over and opened the window.

"Selina, what was...?" She stared, but Catwoman darted past her to her room, "What are you doing?"

She instantly pulled out a small back pack and began grabbing items, ranging from her Catwoman gear to her cosmetics. She grabbed a few changes of clothes and a few personal items. Holly watched as Selina pulled back her hood to get a quick breather.

"Selina, what are you...?"

"Listen, you're right. I need a break. I can't stand just staying here and thinking about him," Selina said.

"I... I didn't say that," Holly stuttered.

"I need a break, Holly," Selina said, zipping up the backpack and slinging it over her shoulders and walking towards the window.

"Selina wait!" She called, "Are you leaving?"

"I'll be back soon, don't worry," Selina said, opening the window as a gust of wind came in.

Holly shivered. She looked at Selina as she pulled on the hood again. She was sort of surprised at Selina's change in attitude. But Selina still seemed like her determined self.

"Oh... Okay. Just take care of yourself, Selina," She said quietly.

Selina smiled at her, "I will. You do the same. Will you take care of the cats?"

Holly shrugged, "Well, I guess... I mean, what else am I going to do with my time?"

Selina laughed, "Thanks."

She jumped out once again and out of sight. Holly looked out, searching for the Cat, but finding nothing. She sighed and slammed the window shut. Rolling her eyes, she walked over and sat down on the couch again. Whatever that was about, she was sure that Selina would tell her later on. She clicked on the TV again and was pleasantly surprised to find that she hadn't missed much of her soap after all. She sat back, a blanket on her lap, and began eating popcorn as outside, the snow clung to the dark city of Gotham.

-T-

**A/N:** Well, that turned out much better than expected. No writer's block, no real pauses... I suppose my luck is turning! Please review! I hope you all enjoyed it the chapter. By the way, randomly, don't ever drink two liters of Diet Coke within the course of three hours. It's really not a smart idea, even if it's your favorite soda, no one else wants it, or because it's zero calories. Lol. Anyway, keep rocking the world and staying awesome! Later!

~Rena


	30. Chapter 30: The Portrait

**Disclaimer:** So I'm sitting on the couch with my dog, who is looking curiously at the TV screen because she hears dogs barking from it. It's so cute. But yeah, I don't own Teen Titans or anything in the DC Universe. It's a sad, sad reality, but I don't.

**Author's Note:** Oh dude, we're at number thirty! Wow. Now this feels like an accomplishment. You know, now that I think about it, I think it was at this time of year that I finished 'What?'. I love the holiday season. It just gives you a cheery feeling inside. So who's up for some TV specials? Lol, jk. I can smell sugar cookies baking. It makes me happy. Well, before I let you read this, I wanted to mention that the first part of this chapter was inspired by "Bruce Wayne: Murderer". Fantastic book! Read it if you haven't, lol. ;-D One thing though that I want to say though before I let everyone go on and read this. There's a bit of a violence warning. No blood, but if you don't have a good stomach for that sort of thing, well, you've been warned. But anyway, here's the big three-oh! "Chapter Thirty: The Portrait"!

-T-

**Custody:**

**Chapter Thirty: The Portrait**

The window pane snapped violently against the walls as the curtains blew in the wind. The banging echoed throughout the empty house, which for the most part wasn't heated to save energy. But that didn't mean that no one was home. The door opened and the current and only resident of the manor walked over to the window.

"Oh honestly," he said, closing the window and glancing at the lock, which appeared to have just not been locked tight enough, "It's hard enough as it is..."

Alfred relocked the window and went back to the main entrance hallway. Wayne Manor had been quiet for the past month and a half, it's regular two other occupants absent. It was... an odd enough feeling. Alfred never thought that Wayne Manor would cease to be occupied by an heir to the Wayne legacy and the fact that he had actually out-lived Master Wayne... Alfred went into the dining hall when he heard knocking.

"Is it too much to ask?" he questioned, walking towards the front again.

He had begun talking aloud at random points in time in order to keep the silence from unnerving him. While he thought that at first it was another window that had been blown open, the former butler soon realized that it was coming instead from the front door. Hurrying over, Alfred opened the door to see an old friend standing in the doorway, bundled in a brown trench coat that covered the white one underneath.

"Evening, Alfred," Leslie said.

"Leslie?" Alfred said, "Oh do come in, you must be freezing outside."

Alfred stood aside as Leslie came in. He shut the door behind her and hastened to follow her in.

"It's... dark," she said, slowly, trying to find a word to describe the place.

"Oh yes, well, not much of a reason to keep it lit these days," Alfred said, as they walked towards the living room area, where a small fire kept the room warm.

The velvet couches sat in the center on top of an exquisite rug, one that Martha Wayne had found while visiting Africa. There stood a few glossy tables on the sides of the couches while one or two blankets were resting on the sides. Leslie walked in, the room familiar to her. She had spent many days helping Alfred care for a young Bruce Wayne back in the day. It was during that time that she and Alfred had become close friends. She sighed as she looked around. It was... emptier than usual...

Alfred cleared his throat, "So, uh, Leslie, to what do I owe this visit?"

Leslie turned around to see him and smiled, "I came to check in on how you were doing. What else?"

Alfred blushed irrefutably, "Oh, well, I am doing fine, thank you. How has the clinic... and yourself? How have you been?"

Leslie brought a tired hand up to her hair, which was placed in a loose bun, in an attempt to keep it from falling out of place, "Busy. The clinic's been busier than usual."

They stood there awkwardly for minute, neither sure how to continue. But as in every instance, Leslie was the one to break the silence. She pulled off her coat and walked over to Alfred.

"Are you alright?" she asked, earnestly interested.

Alfred was surprised by the gesture, but answered, "Yes, I am alright."

Leslie caught his eyes as she speculated as to whether or not he was telling the truth. And then in an instant, she dropped her coat to the floor and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Don't lie to me," she said.

Alfred looked at her, the presence of another human already a shocker in and of itself. But slowly, he took it for who she was and wrapped his arms around her too.

"Just but a bit of depression, that's all," he said to her.

Leslie hugged him tightly before pulling back, "Just a bit, huh? I'll say there's a lot of 'bits'."

She spun around the room again, "This place looks less lived in than it ever has."

"Well, with only one person here, I hope you don't expect me to go through every room and cause utter mayhem in it just to have to clean it up later," Alfred said indignantly.

Leslie looked over and smiled at him, but he could see that she was also being sympathetic at the same time, "Have you heard from Dick recently?"

Alfred shook his head, "Rarely. Mr. Kent said that he visited him the other day, though I must admit that he did not sound too thrilled about it."

"Mr. Kent?" Leslie asked, "Isn't that the cheery one of Bruce's friends?"

Alfred nodded and Leslie looked at him oddly, "That's... unusual. Must have had an off day...."

Alfred shrugged, "Couldn't tell."

Leslie walked over to the fireplace. Above the mantle, a large portrait stood where two people, a man and a woman smiled. Husband and wife. Doctor and Philanthropist. Father and Mother. Below them, stood a small boy, smiling as well. Perhaps his was the cheeriest. The dark hair was brushed out of his face and the corners of his mouth were as far back as he could make them go.

"He was such a cute kid..." Leslie trailed off.

Alfred rolled his eyes, "He was still the biggest trouble maker."

"I bet Dick gave him a run for his money," Leslie said.

Alfred nodded, "I think Master Wayne knew that when he took in young Master Dick. They were very similar at that age, and older now that I think about it."

Leslie turned her head to the ground, biting her lip, "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm not making things any better."

"Leslie, you know as well as I that reminiscing is no crime," Alfred told her.

"Yes, well, it doesn't always help in these situations," Leslie said... "Has Dick been... is he still working?"

Alfred nodded, "I believe so, but his time for going out is limited."

Leslie looked at Alfred in question, "Do you think that's a bad thing?"

Alfred made his way over to the fireplace next to her, "From what Mr. Kent said, I'm not entirely sure. I believe that it would be a good notion for Dick to be preoccupied, but not if that occupation would remind him of his current circumstances..."

"You seem distracted..." Leslie said, noting Alfred's pause in his thought process.

Alfred shook his head, "It's nothing..."

"Nothing seems like a lot of something," Leslie told him, as they turned to face each other.

"What Kent said about Wilson... He said that he had someone on it, but just sitting here only making sure that dust doesn't collect..." Alfred explained; Leslie brought a hand up to his face as he closed his tired eyes, "I feel as though I should be doing something more than this."

Leslie smiled at him. Alfred was always one to be resourceful and was always willing to lend a hand. It was a natural instinct that he had. She liked that about him. His only downfall came when he got discouraged. Thankfully, it didn't happen very much and when it did, she more often than not had a solution.

"Then why don't you?" she asked.

Alfred's eyes opened and he looked at her, "Excuse me?"

"Kent doesn't like Wilson. Research Wilson, then. No one's stopping you," Leslie said.

The former butler's eyes widened and suddenly, held a familiar old spark to them, "Leslie, that's brilliant! Come on."

"Huh?" She asked as he found her hand and pulled her towards the exit of the room and down the hall.

He grabbed her coat and his and ran towards the garage, "The Manor's internet has been disabled. We have to go to the library."

"Is the library even open?" Leslie asked, confused, though her hand did slip into his evenly.

"It's open till ten in Gotham," Alfred explained.

He hit a button and a car door opened for Leslie. She got in barely before he did. "I should have known you would get me into this," she said as he started the engine. He turned on the warm air before looking over at her and telling her, "At least on the way there, we'll stay warm." She smiled at him as he backed out of the garage, her cheeks rosy, but not from the cold.

-T-

Two large buckets landed in the middle of the tarp-covered floor. Robin looked up at Slade in question. In the past week, Robin had been subjected to sparring and performing household chores. Not much, considering past encounters had often been much worse. So as Robin looked around the bare room and the two paint cans, he began to assume that this would be another odd ball chore. At least he had somehow earned the freedom of walking around most of the estate. Most. Not all of it. The doors and the windows remained locked.

"The tops and bottoms of the room should have a distinct thick black rim," Slade told him, "Leave the ceiling white. The main color of the room will be orange. Give them both a double coating. I'll be in the gym when you're done."

With that little instruction, Slade left the room and left Robin to paint it. Robin looked down at the paint cans. Wonderful. He picked up the nearby screw driver and proceeded to wriggle one open. It contained the black paint, so he opened the orange to begin with that. It would figure that Slade would choose these colors. What did he want to do? Slather it in his face that he was stuck here? He'd already done that quite well.

He poured some of the orange paint into the tray and pushed the roller back and forth, getting a good coat on it before walking over to the wall. Thankfully, it was a small room. Not as small as his room, but it wasn't the gym by any stretch of the imagination. The coat colored the wall without much effort and he reflected on how if he was just supposed to do chores, he should be at least a little relieved. In reality, they only made him angry.

The fact that he had decided to even do these willingly angered him. Ultimately, he wasn't doing it out of loyalty, which he figured Slade wanted. He was doing them because he didn't want to add to the number of bruises on his back. Like a coward. He slammed the roller again onto the wall. Like a coward...

To be intimidated was one thing, to avoid the fight all together was another. His logical side reasoned that if he wanted any chance of escape, he needed to be in the best condition. At the same time, he asked himself _'What escape?'_ Every time he looked out a window, all he saw was a nothingness within the forest. There were no lights and the only signs of life came from the animals, many of which had secluded themselves to the safety of their nests or burrows to avoid the cold. There was only so much...

He nearly finished a first coat on one wall within thirty minutes, and started the second coat. He'd paint the coats of orange first, considering it was the lighter color and easier to paint over. At least the work wasn't really heavy labor and he wasn't being worked to death, despite the whole situation annoying him to no end. He kept painting. He half wondered if this was a room that Slade hadn't gotten to yet. He had seen no traces of furniture outside of it.

So he was painting an empty room, with perhaps no other purpose other than the fact that he should paint it. He glared at the wall. He hated it for existing. The second wall was done. He continued to the third. He was getting faster at this as he went along. Hopefully he'd be done soon. He couldn't stand the smell. It made him wrinkle his nose as new fumes escaped from the wet paint. Even if there were windows in the room, he doubted that he would have been able to open them, anyway. Suddenly, the heater turned on and the smell intensified. It made him cough violently. He walked over to the door and stumbled out, trying to regain his breath. The door opened and he stepped out to wait until the heater turned off. As he had come to learn, it never stayed on very long.

Once he heard it turn off, he walked back into the room to find two of the walls ready for a second coat. If it wasn't for the wet paint, he would have slammed his head against the wall. On the other side of the estate, someone else had a similar desire in mind. In a blue work out suit, Adeline warmed up in the gym, waiting. In the past week, she and Slade had sparred once a day, for an entire hour. She wished that it had been longer as she enjoyed being able to let a little anger loose more often.

The doors to the gym opened and Slade stepped in, "I'm not late, am I?"

Adeline faked a smile, "Oh never."

Slade walked over to stand opposite her, "You know, you don't have to do this, Adeline."

She ignored him and readied herself. The one thing that really got under her skin was the way he underhandedly would bring up the fact that he had won all of their previous encounters. It was almost a shock to her the first day. He had improved significantly, off-the-charts-significantly since the last time they had ever fought. The loss was a humiliating wake-up call, despite the fact that she knew that the odds had been against her. And since then, she hadn't held back, not that she had felt that she had done so the first time. Slade's well being meant nothing to her, nothing at all.

"But if you insist," Slade said, eying her.

Adeline stared at him and calmly, slowly conveyed, "As if I wouldn't."

Slade nodded. He knew that she wouldn't ever surrender to defeat once she started something. Adeline leapt forward and they began to fight. For the first few minutes it seemed pretty evenly matched, or rather, Adeline held up her ground pretty well. The thing that they both had going for them was that they had both learned the arts of guerrilla war fare and martial arts. What was Slade's advantage was his enhanced brain power. What was Adeline's advantage was her will to win.

She jumped over him and landed a kick on his back, but not without him finding her arm and displacing her balance, too. They both landed with skill. Adeline felt her hair cling to her face as her pony tail limped past her shoulder. She never took her eyes off of him. The clock ticked and told them thirty five minutes had passed.

"Tired yet?" he asked.

Adeline laughed, "As if."

She stared the fight again, "You know what I don't get?"

He spun out of the way of her attack, "What?"

He was curious. She kicked, hoping to knock his feet out from under him, "You've really hit a low blow..."

He jumped and she finished, "this time."

She backed off, "Even I was caught by surprise."

"I'm flattered," Slade said, "I've surpassed the teacher, then?"

"I never said that," Adeline snapped, as Slade started the fight again, causing Adeline to speak between defending and attacking, "What... I... Don't... Under... Stand... Is why..."

She leapt behind the old couching, distancing them again, "What could have motivated you so much that you'd kill off Batman to get it?"

Slade looked at her, letting her continue without an answer, "And what exactly do you want Dick for, anyway?"

They stopped circling the couch and looked at each other. Answers and Questions. That's all there ever were about them.

"Adeline, what's the point of having an empire, without having an heir?" Slade asked.

Adeline's mouth dropped as Slade continued, "I promised to leave Grant and Joseph out of this business. That does not mean that I am bound to do the same with everyone else."

"You want Dick to..."

Adeline glared at him and leapt over the couch, hoping to kick Slade in the head. She couldn't believe it.

"It was never public knowledge, but at one point, Robin was my apprentice," Slade dodging her.

"Wha..." Fists danced, "Why?"

"His friends' lives were simply in danger," Slade explained, "But it didn't last. I don't see why I expected it to."

"Maybe you never did?" Adeline asked, furiously. She was a little happy to hear that Slade's plans had been foiled in the past. Though something also told her that this defeat had caused much more trouble than it ever really solved.

They kept fighting, "So now... ugh... you want Robin to be your apprentice again?"

Slade didn't answer, but Adeline knew that was the case, "Why?"

Slade aimed a kick at her waist, but Adeline side-stepped it, "If you watch, you'll see why."

Such a simple answer and so not the one she wanted. No matter... "How... gah... do you expect... to achieve that... when you've failed... whoa... at it... wha... before?"

She aimed a punch at his face, but he caught her arm and held her in his grasp, the fight almost won. Adeline's eyes widened as she attempted to wrench herself free.

That's when she heard him tell her in her ear, "That's for me to know."

Adeline's face contorted in anger. She turned her head and spit in his face. He released her, wiping the spit off his mask. The clock struck. It had been an hour. Slade looked back to see Adeline glaring at him without an ounce of forgiveness.

"I don't care if it's Joey or Grant or someone else. You're demented, Slade," she hissed.

Slade turned for the door, taking a deep breath, and though he didn't face her, he ended their conversation, "You are free to your own opinion."

He left the gym. At this point, he figured that Robin should be almost done, so the mastermind headed to the empty room where he had left him. He wouldn't let her get to him. Adeline's determination never ceased to amaze him and cause him to... Slade shook his head. He wouldn't let Adeline's presence deter him from convincing Robin to be his apprentice. He had just about reached the room when Robin came around the corner, smelling of paint. The boy wonder barely caught himself before they slammed into one another. Looking up, Robin crossed his arms. Slade cast his eye down to see the younger.

"You've finished?" He asked.

Robin rolled his eyes for an answer. Slade eyed him. Walking back towards the room, Robin followed Slade for whatever inspection he had to now endure. As Slade walked into the room, he looked around at the four walls. It looked like a decent job. Until he saw one wall, right by the corner. At the top line where the orange met black, a thin line of black paint had begun to trickle down, ruining the distinction. Slade cast a glance at Robin, who had been ignoring him for the most part up until this point.

"You missed a spot," Slade told him, "Repaint it."

Robin looked over at what Slade was talking about. The thin black line... He had been working for a good two hours. He smelled like paint and he was sweating like crazy because of that heater, which only made the whole situation worse. Two coats of paint, four walls a total of twenty four different coats. And to make matters worse, it was the black that was running, which would mean he'd have to do several more coats to cover the darker color. He looked up at Slade, angrier than ever, but his answer was simple and final.

"No," Robin said.

Slade's expression, despite the mask, suddenly scared him. He looked livid with fury. Robin backed away, uncrossing his arms, worried, when suddenly Slade chuckled.

"Huh?" Robin asked.

"What you don't seem to understand, Robin," Slade said, turning to face him, "Is that you will be completing that order, one way or another."

Robin stepped back, but before his foot could even rest on the floor, he felt his shirt being wrenched forward. Slade threw him to the ground and beneath his back, he could feel the tray of orange paint. Suddenly, he was lifted up off the ground again. He grabbed onto Slade's wrist, hoping to find some relief from the choking hold, but was rewarded at he felt himself being slammed against the wet wall. Then directly after wards, his shoulder blades were the first to feel the sensation of his whole body being rubbed across the wall, with Slade forcing his head against it causing the boy wonder to feel dizziness overwhelming him.

Slade pulled Robin back and held him in the air, looking up at the wall. The paint job was immeasurably uneven, but Slade wasn't looking at that. The remnants of the black line remained. He glanced at Robin, who was just coming out of fighting off the dizzy spells.

"I think it needs a second coat," Slade said.

Robin's masked eyes widened, "No. No-no-no-no!"

He didn't finish. Slade slammed him back into the orange tray, but not satisfied with the amount of paint that was left, he let go as Robin gasped at the intense pain in his back, old wounds springing forth. When he finally looked up he saw Slade standing above him with one of the cans of paint. His eyes widened.

"Slade, don't...!" The mastermind tipped the can over, spilling half of the can on top of the Boy Wonder.

Robin covered his head, though he could feel the paint seeping past his arms, dripping onto his face. Slade picked him up and once again threw him into the wall, using him to cover the black line's remaining fragments. Robin held onto Slade's wrist as he felt himself being dragged back and forth across the wall. Finally for a second time, Slade pulled the boy back and held him in the air again by the neck. Slowly he lowered him down.

"I don't think I see a trace of that line now..." Then his eye narrowed, "Though, now that I look at it, the top line of black seems to have a few specks of orange."

Robin glanced over at the trim and was horrified to see that Slade was right, "Slade, no! Stop...!"

He was dropped down this time onto the tray of black paint, but he wasn't about to lay down and wait like last time. Rolling over, Robin fought the searing pains that threatened to destroy the nerves in his back, when he heard Slade talk.

"Where do you think you're going?" Slade walked toward Robin, the can much heavier as not as much black paint had been used, "We're not done yet."

Robin felt Slade shove the side of his stomach over and pour the black paint over him. This time, stopping it did nothing to help. The black washed over him. The inevitable came. Slade once again picked Robin up shoving him into the wall, but this time, Slade didn't keep him in one place. First on one wall, then another, the colors getting smeared against each other creating an unkindly gray. At one point, a hand print clung to the paint, fingernails digging in, making an imprint, before it was dragged away and left to dry. Robin choked out, trying to breath, his vision obscured.

Finally, it was over. Slade dropped Robin to the ground, onto his knees. He attempted to sit up when he heard Slade walking away, picking something up. Then, he heard it, the remaining paint from the cans and the trays, rushing, falling on top of him. The colors ran into his hair and seeped past his clothes onto his skin. His dripped with the colors that stained him, his chest a mixture of black and orange complimenting and contrasting each other at the same time. He choked, getting air, the paint tasting vile as it threatened to seep past his lips. The heater came on and did the opposite of what it should do. It made his skin feel like ice.

Robin bent over, trying to catch his breath. It had been so fast and yet... he didn't want to think about it. He opened his eyes and realized that his mask was covered, making him unable to see. He brought a hand up and attempted to wipe off what he could, but he found that his fingers were littered in the orange blood, too. But as he uncovered what he could, the first thing that he saw was Slade's feet, standing in front of him. He looked up at the man. No, he couldn't be a man. No man could do something like this...

Slade kneeled down and looked Robin in the eye, "Take a good look around you, Robin. Take a good look at yourself."

Robin looked around the room, the entire paint job, ruined, and then, as he looked at himself, he saw a similar display as the orange and black colors covered him, tagged him...like an adverse portrait... Slade grabbed Robin's chin as some orange paint slid down some of Robin's hair.

"I own you, Robin," Slade said, "Don't try to escape that fact."

Slade stood up, releasing him and walked towards the door, but before he left he gave Robin one final order, "Oh, and Robin."

Robin turned his head upward as Slade finished, "I don't want to see any paint leave this room. I'll see you at dinner."

Robin nearly choked as Slade left. Looking down at himself, he didn't think he could leave this room. He was so drenched in paint... a black bit of paint dripped down his mask and he wiped it off. As he sat down, trying to recover from the terrifying experience, he slowly realized that he probably wasn't going to have to time wait for the paint on him to dry as he most likely only had a few hours...

He slowly took off his shoes and socks, separating them as, pulling his shirt off, he didn't dare look to see if his back looked as bad as it felt. He found the screw driver and punched a few holes at the knees of his pants, so that he could tear the bottoms off making shorts. He squeezed what he could out of the now-shorts and wrung out his shirt. Using his socks that were surprisingly mostly still dry, he used them to clear off any massively dripping bits of paint that had clung to his skin.

Within an hour, he had been able to slowly make it out of the painted room (the doors of which had slammed shut and locked themselves behind him) to the bathroom, where he took a shower to rinse off the rest. By the time dinner started, he was clean of any signs of paint. It didn't stop him from resenting Slade for what he had done or from resenting himself for letting it happen. Had he? He felt as though he should have been able to stop him... despite his... slipping grasp of control.

And all the while, Slade accumulated that control as the seconds, hours and days ticked by.

-T-

**A/N:** Alright, so maybe I feel a little bad about what Robin's going through... no, yes, maybe? I don't know. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! Most of my friends found this idea to be comical, but distorted at the same time. Yet somehow the comical element doesn't really find it's way in there all of the time. Then again, that's probably a good thing for this story.... oh well, either way, I hope that everyone liked the chapter and that everyone has a Happy Happy Holidays and an Awesome New Year! Later!

~Rena


	31. Chapter 31: Mud and Rain

**Disclaimer:** Do you see a copyright here? Well? Do you? No! There's none in sight! So there's your answer, I don't own Teen Titans or DC Comics. Sighs, so sad... but true.

**Author's Note:** ...hehe... yeah... um... about not updating... I know! I know! It's been a month and more! You have no idea how terrible I feel about this! School just got out of hand and then even more so... -cries- I'm sorry! I hope you can forgive me. But here it is the new chapter. It's finally here and done and ready to be read. So yeah, I hope you enjoy it. I also wanted to give a shout out to TeenTitansLover1 for PMing me and motivating me to really get this chapter done, as well as everyone else who encouraged me to update. So yeah, you guys rock and I hope you like the chapter! "Chapter Thirty-One: Mud and Rain"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Mud and Rain **

The bowl smashed into pieces as it hit the floor. Robin jumped, a natural reaction. Wintergreen looked over and nodded for Robin to clean it up – just as he had been expecting. He got down on his knees and began to collect what he would have used for his breakfast bowl. Surprisingly, he had received an awful lot of freedom, though at the same time, he never got to go outside in the three weeks that he had been there. At least, he thought it had been three weeks. For some reason, he thought that Slade might have been messing with his concept of time, as he was positive that none of the clocks held the same time.

No matter. He had stayed long enough and he didn't care if there was nothing around for miles. He would run as long as he had to. The only thing that made him feel slightly bad about this, the whole escape plan, was that Ms. Kane wouldn't be going with him. But at the same time, he knew that he would have a better chance at helping her get that information when he was back in Gotham or Jump. Robin would take the chance that he had.

"So where's Slade?" he asked casually, as he hid a particularly large shard in his pocket.

"He left early this morning," Wintergreen told him, without looking up.

"Huh?" Robin asked, he hadn't been expecting that.

"He does this often," the butler answered, "It isn't unusual."

"Oh..." Robin said.

This was going to be better than he had expected, though he wasn't going to bet that Wintergreen was telling the truth. He picked up the remaining shards and threw them in the trash before getting a new bowl and pouring himself some cereal. Grabbing the milk from the fridge, Robin sat down and pushed his cereal around until he reached what had already been drenched in milk. Wintergreen finished the dishes and pulled out the bag of trash that had been filled by the recent broken bowl fragments.

"Take this out to the garage when you're done," Wintergreen said and with that, he left the room.

Robin swallowed what was in his mouth and looked at the bag. It was his ticket out of here, so to speak. Though the only reason that he'd need to take a shower after this little escape was, he hoped, going to come from his own sweat. He picked up the bowl and drank the remnants of the milk before wiping his mouth and grabbing the thin coat on the side of the door. He tied up the bag and opened the door to the garage.

Normal enough, except for the four cars placed in the garage, though the cool temperature that penetrated the room was more distracting than the vehicles. It was a surprisingly neat garage. Slade hadn't let him actually go outside and this meant that when Slade or Wintergreen said 'take out the trash', they meant put it in the garage and someone else would take care of it later. Robin though, on his many trips into the garage figured out one thing. The security here was perhaps the most vulnerable in comparison to the rest of the house. There were two cameras and four large doors to allow the cars in and out. The doors themselves had dual-protection: one was that they were massively heavy and the other was that they had extremely acute sensors.

So his issues? Lifting the doors and getting rid of the sensors. It hadn't been until this morning that he had figured out how to solve these problems. The fact that Slade wasn't here (or rather shouldn't be; Robin would still be acting as though he was) was even better. Robin walked over to where he normally placed the trash, though not before he tore a large piece of the plastic off of the bag's end. That's when he jumped.

Catching the camera above him, he stretched the plastic over it until it stayed without having to be held both because of pressure and because of how he shaped it. He dropped to the ground and ran over to the other camera and preceded to do the same. Then he ran back to the corner and proceeded to kick the door of the driver's seat open. He slipped inside and underneath to where the wires connected. He wasn't Cyborg, but he knew a thing or two about how to start a car without a key.

The engine revved and Robin smiled. Abruptly, he sat in the driver's seat and proceeded to move the car so that the exhaust pipe was angled as close as possible to the sensor box, near the right wheel. As soon as it was close enough, Robin turned off the car -- otherwise he risked being killed by carbon dioxide. Jumping out, Robin slid to the back of the car and saw that there was but a few centimeters difference between the exhaust pipe and sensor. Once again grateful for the long hours of working out, Robin slid the car over carefully. Now was the time that he slipped out the shards of the bowl from his sleeve. As soon as he was done shoving them into the pipe, Robin went back into driver's seat and ignited the engine.

He heard the flying glass spit out of the pipe and instantly, the dying sound of electricity was heard. Robin looked up and saw the sensor-- destroyed. He smiled. Popping the trunk of the car, he searched for anything that he could use for a lever for the door. A hammer.... he grabbed it and began to hit the trunk door as hard as he could. It came off within thirty seconds. Pulling it off, he slid it under the garage door. He pulled a spare tire from the side, picked it up and dropped it hard. Just as he had thought, the door inched up, but was still too small to squeeze through. One more thing... Robin grabbed the trash and dropped it on top of the tire. Just enough if he took off the jacket. So he did.

Robin slid his way under the garage door, pulled his coat under, and was off. He didn't know what sort of defenses he'd run into now that he was out, but he didn't care. He was this close. He was out of the Estate. He was going home... wherever home was now. Wayne Manor, Titans Tower, anywhere. Just not the Estate or anywhere that Slade had easy access to.

Immediately, he headed east, as he figured by the sun's rays through the trees through thin overcast of clouds. East was probably going to get him to the shore or a road the fastest which would lead to civilization or a public area. The entire forest seemed to be frozen over, though by no means was it a winter wonderland. It was deserted, it was so cold. If he hadn't been running, Robin would have guessed that he wouldn't be feeling his fingers right now. The wind hit the Boy Wonder and he pulled his jacket over him. It wasn't much, but every bit helped. As he climbed over fallen tree trunks and dodged, he wondered how far away he was from Gotham anyway...

His eyes softened. It felt odd to run there, when he had previously run elsewhere. It wasn't even home anymore, now that he thought about it... He took in a deep breath of cold air. So what? It was better than here and from there, he could reach the Titans, who he should have never pushed away. Sad how that had been a mistake that he had constantly repeated. With his friends, Bruce... He had to make it right with his friends. It wasn't like he could do it with Bruce now. It was his job to live up to what he was taught to do... especially after everything... his mind drifted in the cold air...

_"You think I don't care about your well being?" Bruce whispered and looked down at him._

_And ever defiantly..._

_**Bang!!**_

Robin was shocked back into reality and at the jarring sound, immediately hid behind a tree. What was...?

_**Bang!!**_

Gun shots? What? That meant someone else was out here. Someone else... Could they help him? Or... Robin gulped back the thought that came to mind. Either way, his methodical mind began to process his situation. Could they even see him? He looked like just another tree practically, he was pretty thin. The boy wonder made a mental note to never tell anyone about that thought. They'd never let him live it down. But onto his primary concern... was he in the line of fire? The chances... He looked around, but saw no signs of movement. It did little to ease his fears as hunters didn't move much intentionally... His best chance was to make himself a hard target and keep moving...

He breathed in quickly and let it out, crystal clear, as the puffs of smoke that had escaped him earlier were long since gone. He set out again, making his way through the woods. He heard nothing, saw nothing, but swerved just in case. It was all he...

**_BANG!!!_**

Robin turned his head towards the echoing sound when suddenly, his foot snagged a tree's exposed root while his forward momentum continued. By the time he reacted and spun his head around, it was too late and he fell face first into the snow. The sensation startled him as his whole front shuddered with cold. His whole face hurt and he couldn't breathe. It was then that he realized that he had fallen into a pit of cold muck He lifted his head up and got to his knees, coughing out as the pieces of mud clung to his face and jacket, even the legs of his pants. His hands were freezing. The boy wonder felt himself unintentionally shiver. He was wet, cold, and had no idea where he was; how long...

He heard the song of metal pieces hit against themselves as they landed in front of him. Robin looked up to see a man towering over him, a large male deer lying dead over his shoulders, the gun by his side. He was covered in winter gear, but his face was exposed. Robin gulped. Slade looked at him oddly, passively, but without much concern. After a moment, Slade broke the silence.

"Well get up," he said.

Robin nodded and began to push himself up as Slade picked up the gun. The boy wonder felt his shoes fill with the sloshing mud as he stood up, but he didn't have much time to dwell on the fact as Slade gripped his upper arm tightly. The numbing sensation was gone as he walked along side Slade back to the Estate. All of the cold seeped in as the long minutes slowly ticked away. He wondered how long he had been running for. His entire focus had been on other things. Had he really been caught that quickly? It felt hopeless...

The overcast weather remained and deepened in its gray color. He thought that he heard thunder somewhere, but then again, maybe it was just another gun shot. Neither spoke to the other. Slade's pace didn't change. It was smooth, easy. His posture changed only once – to re-adjust the deer on his shoulders. Robin shivered again. It was a slightly creepy thing to see, the deer lying limp like a mere doll. Sooner than he had expected, the Estate came back into view. Back. He closed his eyes and he trudged his way forward to keep up with Slade.

As they reached the Estate's edge, they came up to a spring well, surrounded by rocks, an old style. Slade forced Robin to his knees next to it. The boy refused to look at him, the red color in his cheeks coming from not just the cold. Ever the dignified child... Slade thought.

"Stay here," he told Robin before leaving for the house.

The Boy Wonder didn't even try to escape. It was no use now. He was in no condition to attempt an escape now. He would die of hypothermia before making it to a road, any path to civilization. He couldn't believe it. Of all of the things. He was caught even when Slade wasn't looking for him. Was the world out to get him? The logical side of him reminded him that Slade might have found out and really was looking for him, and he wasn't tempted to believe it. He half wondered what Slade would do to him when he saw the shape of the Mustang...

He heard the crunching of snow and looked over to see Slade walking back towards him, the deer and gun gone. The elder stopped at the well and began winding the handle, bringing up the bucket. They both could hear the water sloshing around inside of it. Robin's face remained tight. He was both furious as well as frustrated. There was even a bit of disbelief in there as well. Slade saw it. It wasn't like he missed these things. You learn those sorts of things as an assassin for hire. Wintergreen had called him and told him that Robin hadn't been seen on the cameras for a while. He hadn't been too worried, though he would keep an eye out for him. Perhaps save time. If he hadn't found him, he could have tracked him with the chip in Robin's coat pocket.

Funny how coincidences worked out for him. He might have normally severely punished the boy, however, he could see the defeat in Robin's face, even through the mask. He might as well make the most out of this. As the bucket reached the top of the well, he took off his gloves (to keep them from getting ruined by the well's water) and pulled the bucket over to sit on the side. Though the air was cold around them, the water was still fairly warm as it came from a silent, secure spring. Scooping some into his hands, Slade brought it over to Robin's head and carefully poured it over the boy's mud ridden hair. He wouldn't let it trail into the Estate.

"I'm impressed," He said, going back to the bucket, "You actually made an attempt."

He repeated the process and Robin tensed, "You must be thinking how unfortunate it is that your skills are only mediocre. Otherwise, you might have had more luck."

"I don't bet on luck," Robin spat.

"Yes, well, none of us do," Slade commented, "A shame that none of your attempts are ever good enough..."

He dumped the rest of the water on top of Robin's head and threw the bucket back down the well, "For yourself or anyone else it seems."

Robin said nothing as Slade pulled the bucket back up, "Or am I making a false assumption again?"

"I was good enough to get your attention, it seems," Robin said bitterly as more muddy water ran down on him.

"Yes you were," Slade admitted, "But you miss the mark in your comparison. The ability to get my attention came from your outstanding potential. Expectations only focus on achievement."

Slade dropped the bucket again as Robin barely looked up at him. Their eyes met briefly and he closed the connection, "I don't do things only to meet people's expectations."

Slade smirked, "Oh, I'm sure..."

He found the bucket again, "Every time you stayed up late losing sleep to work on stopping Jump's criminal element, it wasn't to show that you were a capable leader to the Titans, was it? And every time you went out in Gotham and knocked the bad guys senseless, it wasn't to impress Batman. Or was it?"

Robin turned to look up at Slade, "I did things like that because they're my friends, Slade."

"And because Batman was your mentor, right?" Slade finished, "For a mentor, if he expected so much, he should have taught you how to succeed at such a high mark. Unless of course, he just wanted you to lag, so that he could use you like a pawn, like he did everyone else."

"Batman didn't do that to people," Robin argued... "He didn't do that to me."

"You were always second," Slade said, "Always at the end of 'Batman and...'."

"So why would you believe that he or anyone else wouldn't, Robin?" Slade asked, picking up the bucket.

He dumped the rest of the cold water on Robin's head, most of the mud gone now. Robin felt the cold burning into him and sucking out the heat from him. And with it, went his sense of grounding. Slade dropped the bucket for a final time and faced him.

"Come on," he said.

Robin saw Slade heading inside and got up to follow. However, instead of what he had thought would feel like a defeated return, Robin found himself shrouded by his own thoughts and contemplations. Slade opened the door and let Robin come inside before code locking the door again. It was about time the boy came inside; his lips had been turning almost a dark purple-ish blue. He led Robin to the hallway that connected Robin's room to his bathroom and left him to himself for the rest of the day. He had already given the boy enough to think about as it was.

Robin found himself a clean set of clothes before leaving himself to his room for the rest of the day. He was slightly cheered by the fact that he didn't have to go to dinner with Ms. Kane and Slade as Slade had decided to eat by himself that night. He went to bed early that night as time seemed to pass quickly for him. Taking off the mask, Dick laid down under the covers of his bed and switched off the light, letting the darkness engulf him and lull him to sleep. As his eyes drifted slowly downwards over his eyes, he wondered how likely it was that Slade had actually been correct in his statements.

Yes, he had always wanted to impress Batman. And yes... he had seen Batman use people, though never by saying anything to them... he wondered if that was the same as using them though... But yes, he wanted to seem capable to his friends, who all had superpowers of some sort or another... But Bruce wouldn't have ever used him... No. Because Bruce... The memory from before returned as did his answer to Bruce's question.

_"No."_

In short, 'no, he didn't think Bruce cared.' Dick shut his eyes and shook his head. He hadn't meant it. He hadn't really believed that... He hadn't... Bruce had cared. That's why he would have never used him... But... Doubt seeped into his mind and Dick recognized it immediately. He shut his eyes tightly, silently in his mind refusing to let it in. It couldn't... It should... never... He suddenly yawned.

He was too tired to be thinking straight; he had to realize that... Dick shut his eyes, hoping that sleep would blissfully take him somewhere else, because he knew that he couldn't deal with anything here.

-T-

The time for snow had long since passed in Gotham. Instead, ice chilling rain had decided to terrorize the city, forcing everyone inside to stay warm. Well... almost everyone. Red X was currently trying to find such a place that could provide him with some shelter as the hotel that he had been staying at had long since kicked him out. He couldn't believe that Robin hadn't contacted him in a month. He wasn't about to do anymore favors for that guy for a while.

Right about then, he hit black ice and found himself lying on the ground after hitting the side of the building's fence. It continued to rain. Tonight was not one of his nights. He watched for a moment as rain drops splattered on his mask when he saw light coming from the distance. Sitting up and spinning around, he saw the Bat-Signal shining into the clouds from a building nearby. It couldn't be...

Red X got up and jumped across to the next building, careful to make sure that he wasn't about to hit more black ice. Running around the side, he saw a man with an umbrella on the next roof over standing next to the origin of the lighted bat in the sky. The man flicked off the switch and Red X realized that he must be looking at the famous Commissioner James Gordon. As his eyes had long since adjusted to the lack of lighting, he watched as Gordon left the roof and went down a few flights. On a side note, X couldn't believe how many windows the Police Department actually had.

Gordon walked into a room filled with three others, where the window was open just slightly. Intrigued, Red X jumped down the fire escape he had been next to and across to a ledge of the Police Department on the same level Gordon and the others were on. X crept over to the window and held onto a drain line, listening to the conversation, thankful that he had some shelter from the rain from where he was standing.

"A little stuffy in here, isn't it?" Gordon asked.

"Better than it is outside," the other man noted.

"Nice come back, Harvey," a woman stated sarcastically.

"Can we please just get on with this," he saw a dark haired woman say; she sounded tired.

"Very well, Yin," Gordon said, "I assume everyone brought what they found. Sawyer?"

The other woman, Sawyer, spoke up, "Well, out of the... long list that you gave us sir, I can't say that any of these people had any shady backgrounds."

"None of them had a record," Harvey chimed in, "Well, Wreith did for stealing from a candy stand at the age of twelve, but nothing else."

Gordon shook his head, "It would figure."

"Sir, if I might add, I don't think they were all killed for the same reason," Yin stated, "If we look at each case individually instead of collectively..."

As she trailed off, Gordon passed his eyes over each of them, "Let's go over this then. We've got, in order, Max Wreith, Efrem Austin, Bard, Clara Thompson, Edwin Beagle, Bennett, Bruce Wayne, Earle, and Kane."

"Well, Bard probably knew something," Sawyer said, "It's not like he was just anyone in our department. And who knows what Bennett saw..."

"Wayne and Earle might have been funding something," Harvey offered.

"Well what about the others? Wreith, Austin, and Beagle were retired," Yin stated, "And who knows what Thompson had to do with anything."

"Beats me," Harvey said, "Though I think Austin might have been a name once. Don't really remember."

"Look into their previous jobs," Gordon said, almost in an off tone like he wasn't really paying any attention.

"Huh?" Harvey asked.

"It might reveal something," Gordon said.

"What about Kane?" Sawyer stated, "She took in Wayne's kid, right?"

"Yes, she did," Yin stated, "Adeline also headed up the security in Wayne Tower after Wayne's murder, too."

Adeline? Wait, Adeline _Kane_? Red X leaned in to hear better. Wait. Did that mean...?

"After she disappeared, where did the kid go again?" Harvey asked.

"A man named Grant Wilson was granted guardianship of Grayson, through some process of the law," Gordon filled in, remembering the migraine that had been for him and nearly everyone else, "Apparently, he was a good friend of Kane's."

_Grant Wilson?_ What on earth? And what did they mean Adeline Kane had 'disappeared'? His interest was beginning to peak...

"I doubt that following the lead on Wayne's will will actually do anything," Sawyer stated, "Wouldn't this Wilson guy gotten sniped at by now if that was part of it?"

"She's got a point there," Harvey said.

"Well, you got any other brilliant leads?" Yin asked, negatively.

"Hey, hey, I'm not the Batman," Harvey stated, pulling his hands up defensively.

"Really, I could have sworn you were," Sawyer stated sarcastically.

"Not like you're Sherlock Holmes either," Harvey said.

"Enough!" Gordon yelled, and Red X heard the man turn the rest of them.

"This department has relied on Batman to save our skins, not to mention everyone else's like it was his job to do so, when in reality, he does it out of his own self-sacrifice," Gordon stated, "As much as I appreciate and hope for his assistance and Robin's, he's not here. So let's actually do what we're paid to do. I believe that we can be just as capable..."

The other three looked at Gordon, shocked into silence. Gordon had always endorsed the Bat, though it was a startling reminder to hear it from him that they should be just as reliable.

Gordon sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing them with a tissue before placing them back on his face, "Look into our four unknowns, Austin, Wreith, Thompson, and Beagle. Something tells me that's our best lead for now. I'm willing to bet that Bennett, Bard, and possibly Kane probably found out something they shouldn't have. As for Wayne and Earle, let's count their murders for business reasons most likely...."

Gordon paused again and Red X waited with baited breath... _'Come on, go back to Kane and Wilson...'_ He thought.

"Dismissed," he said.

And Red X growled silently.

Inside he heard from Harvey, "What was that?"

Gordon looked up automatically and X knew it was time to dash. Just as he made it around the corner of the building, he heard Gordon fling the window open. Somehow, he knew what they had all been hoping, but there wasn't a trace of either of the dynamic duo anywhere. It was like the hope kept dwindling...

Red X waited to move until he heard Gordon shut the window, when he made his way to the rooftop. He walked over to the Bat-Signal. The metal outline of the bat was battered by the cold rain. He felt like kicking it in frustration. They couldn't keep talking about Kane, could they? But as much as he hated the whole thing, somehow, seeing the signal's sad position out in the cold with him, softened his anger.

He traced the outline of the bat with a gloved finger as he thought. So this whole thing was what Robin was working on. And Batman wasn't here to help for whatever reason... But what on... The thing that baffled him the most was Adeline Kane's involvement, including her 'disappearance' which, despite himself, worried him. Not to mention everything with the will and Ravager...

He sneezed and was brought back to his current situation. He had to get inside. Somewhere. Even his back was soaked in spite of the cape covering him. He jumped to the next roof, leaving the Bat-Signal and the Police Department behind. After a few blocks, he found two men talking outside while waiting for a cab. They had already set their briefcases down. A perfect score. Tossing a pebble at one of them, they fell down the steps from the building. As one of them ran down to get them, he snagged the other's wallet out from his back pocket. Four hundred buck – easy cash. He was good at what he did.

It took him just minutes to reach the nearest hotel. Before he went in, he changed the Red X uniform in favor of street clothes. It didn't change the fact that he was still dripping wet. He handed the man at the desk cash for one night and a dinner and got a key. What a scene that must have been. Heading up to the room, he threw the concealed uniform (that he had hidden in a small bag) to the side and looked out the window. Robin had better have figured out something for this case. He threw off the soaking wet shirt, shoes, and socks. Out of everything to get involved in... He shook his head. None of this made any sense...

It was then, as he collapsed on the bed that he determined that he'd make it make sense, as far as he could at least. He wasn't very skilled in that department, but it was worth a shot... And then he realized he'd have to do research. Like... school work. He groaned. It was official:

This night couldn't get any worse.

-T-

**A/N:** Oh wow, I just love making things difficult don't I? Sighs, well, anyway, how was it? Please review! Again, I'm terribly, terribly sorry for the majorly late update. On a more positive note, the Wonder Woman movie will be out soon! Yeah! Alright, I know that was random, but yeah, it excites me. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I think I must have been in the car for more than half the time, but the other half was so much fun. In any case, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Later!

~Rena


	32. Chapter 32: To Assign Fault

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Teen Titans or DC Comics, I'd be dead by now considering how slowly I update. So yeah, I don't own them, considering that I'm still alive and kicking (you're probably all thinking that I won't be for long after this, lol)

**Author's Note:** You probably won't believe me when I say this, but I think you are all in for a real treat with this chapter! Ahh! I can't begin to tell you all about how excited I was for this chapter; it was like the change in the weather that seemed to occur just for this chapter's sake and mood! But on another subject, I know this chapter is about a week late. I was sick the past week and out of town last weekend. You're probably all tired of hearing my excuses, though. If it makes anyone feel any better, I've realized something. I'm just like Shigure Sohma (a Fruits Basket character). I never finish what I'm writing on time - hangs head low- Ok, maybe that won't make anyone feel any better. Forgive me! I really do try, I swear. One more thing before I let you read this chapter. I did send out review replies to everyone, but I don't know if they were delivered yet or not. The whole system was sort of going crazy when I did, so they might be arriving a bit late. Sorry! But how about I just let you read the chapter? Sounds good to me. "Chapter Thirty-Two: To Assign Fault"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: To Assign Fault**

Adeline wrapped her hands with tape, something that had become a daily thing. Not that she liked it that way. After tearing off the piece she was working on and flexing her hand, Adeline allowed herself one of the brief opportunities to slump her posture. There are always days where one is full of energy or on the other side of the scale, entirely depleted of energy. This was one of the days where Adeline wished that she could be depleted. The daily routine of fighting Slade, it was starting to almost depress her. And worse yet, she recognized it.

There had been a point in time where she had always been able to beat him. Within a minute or less, too. True, she had taught him to do better, to improve, to actually hold his own to her, but often times, she had still won... unless, she let him win... It would always boost his confidence. Confidence that at one point would make her smile; at one point make her....

The door opened and Slade walked in. Automatically, his confidence made her feel sick. She half wondered if the corners of her mouth were falling off her face due to the frown they were shaped in. He said nothing, but walked over to the closet chest in the room. Adeline leaned against one of the old couches and waited.

"Bo-staffs today?" He asked.

"Whatever," Adeline said, without much of a care.

"You're talkative," he noted.

Adeline glanced over at him as he walked up to her, "Maybe I'd want to talk more if the person I was talking to wasn't wearing some ridiculous mask."

Slade raised his eye, but began to chuckle. He was always in full uniform when he and Adeline fought. She generally favored sports clothes; today's outfit included a light purple tank top with a short sleeved jacket, tennis shoes, and a pair of loose black shorts. But he always wore what had been coined as Deathstroke's uniform. The mask, included.

"Touche," he said, reaching behind his head and releasing the metal mask from its place.

She looked up to see him, but as she did her perceptive eye overtook her. He caught her eye, "What?"

She stopped staring, "Nothing."

He really hadn't changed very much, when she looked at him closely. He still held that young air about him. Just like when she had first met him. Except of course, the eye patch. That was new. She smiled bitterly and laughed as he handed her the bo-staff.

"Forgive me for missing the joke," he said, walking over to his starting position as she did her's.

"Reminiscing, Slade," she told him, truthfully, "That's all."

"I suppose we do have a lot to reminisce about," he said, "Though I would have thought that you would do that at another time."

"Unfortunately," Adeline said, "I only reminisce on the bad things in my life when I'm around you."

"I apologize," Slade said, like a gentleman, but mocking all the same.

"Don't tell me you don't reminisce, Slade," she said, twirling the bo-staff in her hand.

"I never said I didn't," Slade stated, "But then again, I don't suppose you would care."

"Come to think of it, you're right, I probably wouldn't," she stated.

They stood opposite each other, both ready. Adeline had both hands tight on the bo-staff while Slade stood loosely, like this was some form of practice for the real thing. Too bad for her, it was. Her eyes narrowed. It was her move. It always was. Slade had given her that courtesy. A growl escaped her throat and she attacked head on, aiming the bo-staff at the top of his head. Slade side-stepped her and aimed a blow towards the right of her stomach, but she caught it by placing her bo-staff in the way.

She felt her feet slide backwards as they stood facing each other, but she held her ground all the same. She kept her eyes on him while her brain worked with what she remembered of the surroundings. That was one thing that Adeline knew about Slade. He watched the eyes of his opponent to guess what they would do next. But not her. She wouldn't look anywhere but him. Otherwise, he'd figure out her strategy faster than she could actually plan it out.

That's why when she tilted her staff downwards, he almost lost his footing. Almost. He didn't, but that was good enough for her to fight back. She twisted around to kick him in the gut, but she missed as he jumped back and over her. As Adeline turned, Slade used his own staff to attempt to trip her. It worked. But for mere seconds. Upon falling, Adeline rolled over a good ways away from him. Her breathing slowed as she willed it to. They began to circle the room again, this time slower.

Slade sighed and Adeline's eyes narrowed, "What?"

"What has it been, almost a month?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

Slade shook his head, "The number of times we've done this, fighting."

"Oh you..." She seethed, and attacked, but he blocked with his bo-staff.

"I'm just saying," He said, backing off, "I think we know the outcome of this fight already, Adeline. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Her eyes widened and she spun around, hitting him in the back with the staff, but not hard enough to make a real impact. She did though, cause him to drop his staff, "Are you kidding me?"

"Hm?" Slade asked, side stepping another of her attacks.

"I don't want to do this, Slade," Adeline hissed as she pushed herself away from another of his attacks. He still made a hit and Adeline felt the pain run through her upper arm, "I have to do this."

Slade looked Adeline in the eye as she continued, another attack on the way, "I've always had to do this!"

He backed away as she swiped at his shoulder, "Ever since what happened to Joey... I've had to protect them."

She landed a hit at his chest, but he caught hold of her bo-staff, "I could have helped you there, Adeline, if you had let me."

"You were the threat!" Adeline yelled at him as he wrenched the staff from her grasp and she flipped away, "How could you even..."

Slade kicked out under her legs and Adeline jumped to avoid him, "Adeline..."

"No! No! Shut it, Slade," Adeline told him, "I don't want to hear your excuses. I've heard them all."

Slade and Adeline fought. In every instance, something crept back into Slade's memories. Her determination, her sense of justice, her loyalty... She almost landed an uppercut to his jaw, but he turned to his left and was able to pick up his staff. Upon noticing this, she ran for her own and barely managed to grab it before he aimed one end at her hand. He missed and she stood up, knocking him back.

"You know, I did leave them be," Slade said, "As you requested."

"Oh, so responsible of you," she remarked sarcastically, wiping some sweat from her forehead, "When was the last time that happened?"

"We're talking about responsible when you're the one who risked losing custody of them by attempting to murder me?" Slade asked.

"Shut it," Adeline snapped, "It's not like it wouldn't have saved us a whole lot of trouble."

"And yet I know where Grant is and you do not," Slade said, a smile creeping onto his face.

It infuriated her, "And it's responsible of you to know and not tell me? You don't even look after them! You don't care about them!"

"You know that's not true," Slade stated slowly.

Adeline ran into the fight again, "You. Never. Cared."

"Adeline..." He dodged her again.

"No, don't tell me lies like that," Adeline yelled, "I can't believe I trusted you like I did..."

Slade shook his head, "I still believe you to be a good judge of character, though."

"Yeah, well, I don't," Adeline stated firmly, running with her staff at him.

His eye never left her's. They kept fighting, dodging, kicking, and attempting to hurt the other in some manner. After a while, Slade noticed Adeline's movements getting slower and less coordinated. She was tired. He backed off once again. Her hair was clinging to her neck and face, though she still looked like she was ready to go another hour. He almost didn't think that he could last that. Watching her, it reminded him, of everything that she was. The brave, fierce woman that had at one point, been his teacher, his friend...

"Addie..." He began.

Something snapped in her head, "And you know, another thing, I wish, you'd quit calling me that!"

"You're still, so egotistical!" She ran forward and their staffs collided.

"So stubborn!" He pushed her back.

"And sly and..." The staffs clashed again and she was pushed back.

She remembered first meeting him; he was standing in a line of soldiers.

"And annoyingly secretive!" She yelled.

Their first date.

"You couldn't be more..." Another clash and she felt herself losing distance even more.

Meeting him at the airport.

"Detached and hurtful!" Adeline felt her ankle hit the old couch and had no choice but to take a step up.

Watching him playing with the boys...

"And... and..." Adeline felt her back hit the old fireplace's counter.

Their eyes locked and for a moment, time wasn't a factor in their minds. Adeline couldn't tear her eyes away. This man. After everything that he had done to her, everything that he had done to Grant and Joey. After all of those painful nights that she had cried away after he ruined her life...

"Addie?" He asked, and she felt all of her anger subside.

Instantly, Adeline pushed her head passed the two staffs and their lips met. She dropped the staff and her hands fell to his chest, then around his neck. He dropped his own and very gently, brought his hands up to her waist. She paused momentarily, her lips still mere millimeters away from him.

"And vexing..."

Their lips met again. She leaned into him from her spot on the small couch and he carefully pulled them both back until he held her in mid-air. Her fingers toyed with his blond hair. As she needed to breathe, she felt him letting out his own as it ran down her neck.

"And smart..." She whispered.

The third kiss occurred. Almost as a way to politely excuse himself from holding her up, Slade had carefully made his way with her back to the couch in the middle of the room and fell back onto it. She landed on his chest, her brown hair covering most of his face. Just like she had before...

"And patient..."

She gave herself a minute to actually get air and collapsed her head onto his chest, taking in his scent. The same as it had always been. It was like the world and it's problems had melted away and had left them behind...

"What else?" He whispered, a hint of ironic amusement at their current situation hidden in those two words.

Adeline remembered wearing white and what had been the happiest day of her life....

"And..." Her eyes locked with his, "Too... persistent..."

Their lips met for the final time and they hugged each other. She clung like she had been forbidden to her entire life, while he held her like he would a fragile object. He pushed some of her hair out of the way, so that he could have some light when they opened their eyes. But that was when the sound of a door opening found its way to his ear. Slade opened his eye, but could only see Adeline as the door was to the right of him. He ended the kiss and Adeline opened her eyes. He turned his head to the door and so did she, only to see Robin standing in the door way, his masked eyes and mouth, wide open.

Instantly, the look on Adeline's face turned into one of panic as she realized what she was doing. But she didn't get a chance to say anything before Robin turned tail and ran off. Getting up and running without looking back, Adeline chased after him.

"Dick! Dick wait!" She yelled.

Up ahead, Robin could hear her, but he wasn't about to stop. What had... He thought that... How... It was like his brain wasn't working. Like it had been hit out of the ballpark and hadn't been found yet... Slade and... Ms. Kane?

"Dick wait!" Adeline caught up with him and reached out for his wrist.

"No!" Robin turned around and backed away from her.

"Dick, let me explain...." Addie said, though she wasn't sure if she could.

"No! Stop! Don't...." Robin stuttered, "You... you were with him all along! You never cared about what happens to me! You lied and I believed you!"

Adeline shook her head, "No, no, Dick, that's not... Slade and I were..."

"What Ms. Kane and I were doing is none of your concern."

Adeline spun around to see Slade standing behind her. But instead of hesitancy, she saw instead only anger in Robin's face.

"Shut up! Just, shut it! I don't have to listen to you Slade!" Robin yelled, "Why should I? It's not like anyone actually cares about my well-being! It's not like I'm not surrounded by liars!"

"Watch your tongue," Slade warned.

"Make me," Robin said simply, fury seething from his tone.

That's when Adeline saw Slade move forward, but before she could do anything, Slade had caught hold of Robin's arm and a good portion of the boy's hair. The teen screamed.

"Slade don't!" She yelled, but he shoved her off.

"Let go!" Robin yelled.

"He deserves an explanation!" Adeline yelled.

"He'll get what he deserves," Slade told her, their eyes met and he read everything, saw everything.

But then he turned, dragging a struggling Robin with him. She shook her head and while a hand reached out, hoping to stop them, it did nothing but hang in the air as she heard another boy's cries fade away. At some point, she fell to her knees, shaking. What had she... What had she done?

Down the hall, Robin made every effort to free himself, "Let go of me!"

He thrashed about, but he could feel Slade's grip begin to bruise his arm while a headache seeped through to his skull. Slade said nothing as he dragged the boy wonder down the hall. He could tell that the boy was visibly shaken from seeing him and Adeline... well, from finding out about the nature of their relationship. At some point, Robin quit struggling in favor of yelling.

"You had Ms. Kane working for you all along!" He yelled, "She left willingly! I'm right, aren't I? That's what really happened! Right!"

Slade twisted Robin's hair, who let out a yelp, "You are quick to assume the worse."

Robin shut his eyes as he stumbled forward, "Why shouldn't I? You both lied! You and her! You, she...!"

"We what?" Slade turned to look Robin in the eye, and suddenly Robin felt his breath caught in his throat. Slade chuckled, "It doesn't even matter to you does it? I told you long ago that you didn't have a say in this. You were never in control and you still are not. I am."

They continued walking. Robin somehow managed. He could feel himself grind his teeth as he tried to make sense of it all. Slade and Ms. Kane were... something, an item, he'd go with that terminology. How had he not seen that? And if they were... didn't that mean that... Slade had been right? Ms. Kane had lied. She had lied to him, to Alfred, to the GCPD, to everyone...

"You both deserve each other!" He finally yelled, "You're both as evil and as putrid and as vial as..."

_**Smack!**_

Robin felt blood trickle down from his nose as his vision blurred in and out of alignment. Slade pulled him back from the wall. If there was something he wouldn't tolerate, it was Robin insulting Adeline.

"I was going to be lenient..." Slade trailed off, "But you've earned yourself a little more than that..."

As the words reached his ears, Robin felt a new anger burn inside of him. They turned to the right and suddenly, they were in a cold room. It almost felt like it was... outside. But it was totally... he didn't get a chance to take in his surroundings before he felt Slade release his hair to open something. That something, he assumed, he was thrown into. He rubbed his head where it had been hit. That was when he realized that he was in a metal cage of some sort. The door slammed shut right as he got to his knees. He shook the door hard and glared at Slade when it wouldn't open.

"Let me out!" Robin yelled.

"I'm not going to do that, Robin," Slade told him, "You brought this upon yourself."

"For what? For seeing you two making out?!?" Robin reached for anything he could in his defense, though he didn't really care about skirting around the issue anymore.

Slade shook his head once, "How long are you trying to stay in there for, Robin?"

"Oh yeah, I'm trying to stay in here because I love this type of circumstance!" Robin yelled.

Slade let out a small chuckle, "You wouldn't be in such a great situation if it wasn't for me, Robin. Where would you have been? Who would have taken you in? I think I've proved my point before. Adeline didn't care. None of your friends cared, otherwise they would have stuck around."

Robin was about to say something in their defense, when Slade continued, "But then again, you were the one alienated them. They never really wanted to be around you in the first place; you are always so prone to problems. Your current predicament is proof of that."

For a long moment, Robin sat on his feet while on his knees, speechless. Somehow, throughout all of the chaos in his head, what Slade had just said... was true. He had left his team. He was always causing problems. He...

"Honestly, Robin," Slade said, "How can you save a city, when you can't save yourself?"

How could he...? Robin had heard Slade tell him that before, but something about that caused him to panic. All of the truth, all of the revelations kept hitting him and hurting his head.

Robin stopped his trail of thoughts. It all stemmed from... He glared up at Slade, who smiled, "I'll be back to get you when you've learned your lesson for back-talking."

"Hey! Hey!" Robin yelled, but Slade had left the room.

The door slammed shut and Robin immediately felt a draft. He panicked, "SLADE!!!"

He shook the cage doors when he heard something above him shift and something fall back down on top of him. He fell to his back in order to avoid the barred wire that create a roof above him. The Boy Wonder had even shut his eyes in case of contact. Fortunately, it had caught onto something and stopped inches from his face. Slowly, Robin opened his eyes, his head twisted to the side, when something dripped onto his face. He looked up and screamed.

The head, the head of the dead dear from earlier that week was over him, lying on what had been a shelf. Its eyes were still open. Robin turned his head around to look around him. It was only then that he realized where he was. Against other walls were other similar cages with other dead animals within them. Worse yet, the walls were only made of one layer of nailed wood. Was this... an old meat house?

A drop of blood dripped from the deer's mouth onto his cheek.

It was.

And he screamed. He screamed and held his head, rolling onto his side hoping to shut everything out, but he still felt the metal scratching him and the cold burning the scratches further. If only... He couldn't take it. What had he gotten himself into? Where was he? Why was Slade after him? And why.... He opened his eyes and shivered as the wind hit his back. He was worthless. A pathetic excuse for a successor. He couldn't save himself. He never could. Not when it really mattered. A deep sense of shame overwhelmed him. He couldn't even tell who was on his side. He hadn't figured out that Wilson had been Slade and he hadn't been able to tell that Ms. Kane had been helping Slade...

What had he been able to figure out anyway? What was he good for? How could he even still... He hated this. He hated all of it. He hated Slade for capturing him. He hated Ms. Kane for betraying him. But most of all, he hated himself for driving people away and for not being strong enough. It was like everything he ever tried to make himself was always going to be out of his reach. He was always failing everyone. Why couldn't he do anything right?

Another drop fell by his ear and Robin shuddered. When was Slade going to let him out of this place?

Sadly, it would not be for a few long hours.

Slade made his way casually back towards the gym. He found Adeline still on her knees when he rounded the corner of the hallway that he had left her in. Her hands were on her thighs, keeping her up, while her thick brown hair covered her facial expression. But he could see she was biting her lip in the way that told him she was trying to contain herself.

He walked over to her and knelt down next to her, "Addie..."

He brought up a hand to her face, but she slapped him away, wordlessly. He looked at the ground as he heard her stifle a sob or two.

"It's not as bad as you're making it," He said calmly.

That earned him another slap to the face. Her hand landed on the wall and Adeline pushed herself up... barely. She bit her hand, choking on her tears.

"I hate you," She whispered.

Slade stood up, "Addie..."

"I HATE YOU!!!" She yelled, spinning around to face him, "You ruined my life! You hurt our boys! You lied to me! And you can't just leave me alone! You have to involve me and them and now Dick and even..."

Adeline sobbed. She continued, "And you... You..."

She finally brought her eyes into the light to stare into his lone one. Like she could tell him. As though she could. What kind of woman was she for it... What would... How could she...

He brought his hands up to her arms, offering to support her, hold her while she cried... "Addie, come on..."

She shuffled herself away and turned her back on him, "No, just... leave me alone... please... Please Slade..."

He stood there and didn't move while she brought a hand up to her mouth. Why did he always call her Addie? The way it reminded her of their past. Of all of those happier times when things were simpler. All of the moments that he had ruined for their family, for her, for them... What killed her the most though, the thing that made her despise herself, yes herself, from the very bottom of her heart, was that... that... she knew.

She knew that she was still in love with him.

She couldn't hate him. Even after what he had done to Grant and Joey. Even after what he had done to countless others. Even after what he was doing to Dick... She was still weak and still loved him. Loved the man that had at one point in time captured her heart. Whether or not that same man was who he was now, it didn't really seem to matter. He was the only place she could think to look for him anymore. She choked, a cry escaping, strangled from her throat.

Why was she so weak?

Why was she still so hopelessly in love with a man that had hurt her so much? It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair…

Slade watched Adeline for a good number of minutes. Strangely, he felt that he should leave, but he wanted to stay. He had not planned on what had happened in the gym and he knew that she hadn't either. But the more important fact of the matter was that she was severely affected by it. And yet, he knew that Adeline wouldn't accept his help, his comfort. That's the way things were. The only way she could cope, would cope. Shutting herself off like that... It was the only way for her...

And he did, as astonishing as it may be to some, regretted it. He regretted that he couldn't help her. He was only doing the best that he could at what he was carrying out. Heartache was not something he knew how to avoid, as evidently, it was something he kept running into and kept seeing often. Slade turned around and walked off.

She would be okay. He knew that much. He knew her. He knew that she could make it through this, even when she wasn't sure she could.

-T-

**A/N:** So how much angst was that?!?!? Did that satisfy everyone's appetites for that sort of stuff? Hope not. That's just the starter course. Everything before that was just the appetizers -- lol. I know that this chapter was shorter than what I normally do, but I think it works well this way. Besides, eating the entire starter dish is not always the best thing to do with the main dish on the way, lol. Alright, I'll stop with the food analogy. But seriously, I hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter. I don't know when I'll update with the next chapter because I have a feeling that I'm going to be a bit picky about it. But I'll try my best to get it out in a timely manner. Later!

Rena


	33. Chapter 33: Just Make It Stop

**Disclaimer:** I could never own the Teen Titans or any characters from DC Comics. They're too wonderful to read from DC's pages for that to ever happen.... :)

**Author's Note:** Normally, I write both Author's Notes after I finish writing the chapter, however this time, I feel as though I should write my intro A/N before I finish the chapter. Though I am normally within a week late of when I wish to update, this time around has certainly been an exception. I do have a good reason for that. One of my reviewers, HiKari Mokuba's Guardian, has asked me many times before if it's ever hard to still be writing this story or if knowing the story front to back ever gets boring. My answer tends to generally be 'no' because I really do enjoy writing 'Custody', but this time, for this chapter, I realized that yes, sometimes that is the case. This is one of the few chapters that I have really stressed about. It's one of the ones that I've had pictured in my mind since the story began. It's one of the ones I want to be perfect, real, and a good read.

I've been writing this story for so long, that I feel like I've become numb to Robin's situation, his feelings, what he's going through. I've gone over it so many times in my head that it just doesn't shock or scare me anymore. It's like I've been running my hand under cold water and can't feel the cold at all. For me, that tingling – that emotion, is what I want to breathe into what I write, so that readers can feel it as well. Another one of my reviewers, dlsky, told me not to feel as though I have to rush to meet a deadline because good work comes when good work wants to come. I've basically been waiting for that reason, for the right moment to write Chapter Thirty-Three and I finally feel as though I can feel that tingling sensation again (after pulling my hand out and putting it in blazing hot water for a few seconds instead, lol).

So please, I hope that you forgive me for the excruciating long time it has taken for me to update and I also hope that it is worth every bit of the wait. I'd like to present you with "Chapter Thirty-Three: Just Make It Stop".

**Warning: **This chapter does contain a violent and cruel fight scene. I was even thinking of re-writing it; okay I actually did rewrite parts of it. What goes on within the fight is very important though, so my recommendation is to just read the dialogue if you don't want to read the fight. You should get about the same understanding of the events of the chapter. You might be fine with violence, but I'm just putting it out there. You have been warned.

-T-

**Custody **

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Just Make It Stop**

The only really good thing about having an internal digital clock was that you always knew what time it was. Even then, that could always be so easily turned against him. Like this morning, for example. Cyborg had been up all night, working on the Titans' database information hub center. The subject? Jump City criminals. He was starting to understand a little bit as to why Robin had never gotten any sleep.

Currently, two others on the Titans roster were awake. Raven was off to the side reading while Beast Boy was busy making tofu French toast. It was probably partially because that sounded like such a disgusting combination of food in his head and partially because he was massively tired, but somehow, Beast Boy's antics this morning had done nearly everything to set him off. It was practically a miracle (or maybe Raven's doing) that he hadn't sucker-punched the little booger through the front windows straight towards China.

But being the oblivious one that he was, Beast Boy never got the warning signs that Cyborg had sent. So instead of dissolving the relatively calm situation into a fight, the temporary head of the Titans got up and decided to give himself a break. He really did need one anyway... He began heading towards his room when he saw Starfire down the hall opening a door that led to the roof. While he normally wouldn't have bothered asking what she was doing, curiosity got the best of him when he saw a pink backpack strapped to her back.

"Hey, Starfire!" He called down to her.

Starfire turned to see him, "Oh, hello, friend Cyborg. Uh, nice day, isn't it?"

He walked over to her, forcing a peasant smile on his face, "Uh, yeah, I guess..."

He eyed her bag, "So what's that you got there?"

"Oh, uh, this?" Starfire said, clearly feeling uncomfortable, "Uh, well, you see, I..."

"Looks heavy," Cyborg noted.

"Well, relatively speaking, yes, but with my enhanced strength on this planet it is..." Starfire trailed off as she saw Cyborg cross his arms and look down at her. There was no way she could skit around the subject, "I... uh... I am sorry friend. I..."

"You're worried, aren't ya?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire nodded, "I do not understand why friend Robin has not called us or why he has not come home and nothing I do can put my mind at ease..."

"We're all worried, Star, but what were you going to do? Go to Gotham and find him?" Cyborg asked.

"It is not..." Starfire sighed, "I... I can respect Robin's orders. I did not expect to find him there. But that is not... I was not planning on going there..."

"Huh?" Cyborg asked, surprised, "Where you going to go?"

"I... do not know," She confessed, "I... I just do not understand why people behave certain ways on Earth. And I do not mean to offend you or the others, but I do not feel like I can simply wait here. It makes me... nervous..."

Cyborg nodded and sighed. He looked at Star, who's head was bent low. Of all the Titans, the changes in Robin's life worried her the most. They all knew how close she was to him – how much she had been thinking about him. He was her best friend and the lack of communication, after a month... realizing it now, he could see why she was fretting so much. Perhaps it would be good if she left for a little while. Get her mind off things in Jump or even maybe work a little to find out what was going on with him (and Cyborg was almost certain that she would).

"Alright then," He said, "Why don't you just go take a break, a vacation or whatever, alright?"

"Huh?" Starfire looked up at him.

"You were just about to leave, weren't you?" Cyborg asked, his smile now softer, "Go on, take some time off. I'd get the rest of the Titans to go with you, but I think it's best if the rest of us stay here. That cool?"

"Oh..." Starfire's face instantly brightened. She flew up and gave Cyborg the biggest hug in the world, making him glad that he was half robot, because man did her hugs hurt. "Thank you, friend Cyborg! Thank you! I apologize for not planning to say goodbye, but I did not think... Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Yeah..." Cyborg managed, "Uh, Starfire? Can you, uh, let me go now? You're denting my... steel-plated armor."

"Oh," She released him, "I am sorry. Forgive me. But oh, thank you!"

She flew to the door, her bag at hand, "Thank you. I will contact you soon. I promise."

"No problem, Star," Cyborg said, rubbing his shoulder, "Take care, alright?"

"I will," Starfire said, "See you the soon!"

With that, the Tamaranian flew up and out of sight. Cyborg rolled his eyes and began walking to his room once again. Upon reaching his room, he went straight for his bed, collapsing on the hard metal like it was a meadow of pillows. He plugged himself into his charger and laid back. As his sleep mode kicked in, he figured that he'd tell the others about Starfire's departure later. It might not have been the best idea to let her go and leave only three Titans present in Jump, but they'd deal with it.

Besides, it could always be worse.

-T-

The long hours within the meat house had remained mostly cold and quiet ones. Lonely ones too, if Robin didn't count all of the dead animals around him, which were ever so hard not to notice. At some point, he had just shut his eyes and tried to rest, shut everything else out, hoping that somehow, he could ignore the insanity that was his life. When Slade had finally come to let him out, there had been no words exchanged. Only a bitter glare from Robin and of course, an uninterested expression from his captor.

The few days that followed were quiet ones, too. When given an order, Robin did what he was told to do quickly and did so without a word. It wasn't because he had given in. It was more like his mind was too preoccupied with everything that had happened in the recent months. Everything kept building, like a tower, a precariously perched tower. When it would fall over was anyone's guess.

The silence of the estate had reached everyone, including Slade and Adeline. Everyone just got what needed to be done, done. No questions asked. Perhaps Slade, though, was the only one who didn't seem disturbed or stressed by this. Adeline couldn't believe her own behavior. She hadn't fought Slade since that night and she somehow felt nervous to even remind him. She wasn't afraid of him. No, it was never that. She was afraid of what she would do. It was like being in the same room with him... would she slip back like she had before? She couldn't bear the thought.

When she finally saw Robin for the first time after the incident, she got tongue-tied. She knew that he deserved an explanation. Of all things to see a friend or even a confident flirting, okay, kissing the enemy, the betrayal of trust that Robin must have been feeling... She couldn't imagine. She had to tell him...

"Dick..." She started.

Dick stopped cleaning one of the dishes in his hands.

"I..."

Slade walked in, "Are you done?"

Dick looked over at him and back at the sink, working once again. That was it though, she had been shot down. For the ten minutes that it had taken her to build up the confidence to tell him, she lost it within the few seconds that Slade had entered the room. She couldn't take it and walked out of the room, her heals making a clicking sound against the tiles. She hated him.

And Robin ignored her. He remembered what it was like to be betrayed before, with Terra and what she did to the Titans because of Slade's influence... And Robin was pretty much certain that there wasn't anything more influential than getting kissed by someone you were head over heals for. From what he had seen, Ms. Kane fit that description. After everything that she had told him, he should have figured that having her on his side was too good to be true. She was still alive because she was in cahoots with Slade. It was the only logical reason and now it was all too plain and clear for him not to see it.

The only downside to the silence in the puppeteer's mind (as he wasn't all that concerned with Robin finding out about his and Adeline's past relationship), was that the focus, the progress, was at a standstill. The boy was clinging to the shock, which prevented him from getting closer to accepting his new position. He needed something to get Robin to react. He could wait, as always... It was just a question as to whether he really wanted to. Besides, there really wouldn't be any real harm in edging Robin's progress along and wasn't his goal to have Robin progress? Perhaps a change in pace was all Robin needed...

As Adeline walked out of the room, Robin continued washing the dishes. Slade knew Robin was paying attention to him, though he made no signs of it. What that meant to him though was that it was as good a time as ever to talk to him.

"We'll be having dinner in the main room, casual, tonight," Slade said.

Robin glanced up and over to him, meeting his gaze before nodding once and returning to his work, a passive expression covering his face. Slade put his hand on Robin's shoulder and instantly felt Robin attempt to control the tightening of his muscles.

"I expect good behavior out of you, as always," Slade said, before releasing him and exiting the room.

When he was alone, save for the cameras of course, Robin finished his work and looked up at the clock. It was six thirty, meaning that dinner would be soon. He walked back to his room to change, thinking how sad it was that he actually knew his way around his prison so well. It had never really gotten to this point in previous detainments when they had battled in Jump...

He changed into dark leans and a loose, but decent white t-shirt. He didn't bother using hair gel much anymore and this time merely combed it with a slight part at the front. It was half an inch longer than normal since he hadn't gotten the chance to cut it. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he paused briefly. Despite his body feeling sluggish, his mind felt semi-alert. The only thing really slowing him down was the reality of just how long he had actually been here. He was tired of it, sick and tired of it, and annoyed at himself because of it. He shouldn't be here. He should be in Gotham where he needed... to... be... The clock changed to six fifty eight. Dinner was near ready. He left to go to the main room.

It took him a minute to get there, so he waited thirty seconds before he opened the door to see both Slade and Ms. Kane standing in opposite corners of the room. Slade, as always, remained in his uniform, the mask off this time while Ms. Kane took up a skirt and blouse. Slade looked over and smiled, making Robin's eyes widen slightly. It was just an instinct, a reaction that he had developed over the weeks he had been there so that he could be ready whenever Slade might have the upper hand. But of course this time, it was nothing.

He thought.

"Well, let's sit down. Wintergreen has already left out an appetizer," Slade said, gesturing towards the table.

Adeline eyed it and Robin before making his way over to pull out the seat to the left of Slade. Robin pretended to take no note of her and sat down across the table from her. Slade pulled out his own chair and casually took to dinner quicker than the others did. However, they all finished within ten minutes, without a word spoken.

Wintergreen took their dishes and they waited for him to return with the main course. 'So much for casual,' Robin thought. He failed to notice Slade's eye ignoring him. It had settled on Adeline instead. He knew that she felt an urge to explain the other night to Robin. He was also willing to bet that Robin wouldn't hear it. The timing couldn't be better.

"Adeline, you haven't persisted in having our daily spar," Slade said, and sure enough, they both looked up, "Have you conceded, then?"

Adeline ignored the question and looked over at Robin, who had gone back to looking down at his lap as Wintergreen brought in three steaks and placed them in front of the three diners.

"Dick, don't think that..." Adeline started.

Robin glared up at her, waiting, and Slade could almost see the tension the comment had sparked in the room. Adeline silenced herself before gulping down a hard breath and continuing.

"It wasn't like that. I haven't been..."

"Are you serious?!?!" Robin demanded, standing up, "That's your explanation?!? 'It wasn't like that'?!?!"

"Sit down, Robin," Slade said calmly.

"Shut up!" Robin spat, and Slade's eyes narrowed. Come on...

"You're both... both..." Robin struggled to find the words, his hands up in the air as though trying to grasp the phrase, "Argh, it's so... I can't believe I was so stupid to trust you! You're sick and I'm disgusted to even know you!"

"Dick..." Adeline pleaded.

"Stop it!" Robin yelled, his chest pounding, as weeks of anger and frustration began to tumble out of his mouth, "I hate you! I hate you both! You're cruel and demented and you can't think of anyone but yourselves!"

"That's enough," Slade said, hinting at the possible trouble Robin was about to get himself into.

"No! You're not the boss of me! I'm almost seventeen! Neither of you are and I don't have to take orders from either of you! Ever!" Robin told him.

At this point, Slade stood up as well, towering over both of them. Adeline looked over at Slade, a sudden worry reaching down into her gut. What was he.... Slade's eye kept Robin's gaze, but the Boy Wonder didn't move.

"You don't have any right to tell me to do anything. I'm going back to Gotham and there's nothing you can do about it," Robin whispered, each word trembling just enough...

To both of Robin's and Adeline's surprised, a deep rich chuckle began to make it's way out of Slade's mouth, until it became a roar. Adeline stepped back and suddenly, Robin didn't feel as confident as he had been moments earlier.

"The right?" Slade asked, "I have every right."

Robin kept his teeth together and shook his head, "No... no, you don't, you don't!"

He swung his arm out to reinforce his point, when Slade grabbed his wrist and swung it around, forcing Robin onto the table with a hard _**'Slam!'**_

"Slade!" Adeline yelled, but before she could do anything, Slade threw Robin against the chinaware cabinet, littering the ground with shards of broken glass.

"Slade, what are you doing?!?" Adeline asked, panicked.

Slade looked and coolly walked over to her, gesturing, or rather guiding her towards the exit. While holding her arms as she stumbled backwards trying to force her way over to Robin. The word gesture was being used extremely loosely in this regard.

"Forgive me, Addie, but I think Robin and I need some time alone," Slade said.

"Slade, wait, stop..." She pushed against him, but that's when he reached the exit and gave her a final shove and slammed the door.

She almost tripped and fell over, but she caught herself. Not in time, however, to reach the door before Slade locked it. Adeline jingled the handle. No. No...!

"Slade!" She yelled, "Slade!!!"

Slade could hear her muffled yells on the other side, but ignored them as he heard glass rustling around. He turned his attention to see Robin on his knees, blood streaking down the side of his face from the right side of his forehead, his jaw aching from the previous impact with the table. His shirt was slightly red, too... The headache was splitting, but Robin forced himself to get back up. For Gotham...

"I'm not going down that easily," Robin said, standing up.

He leapt forward, kicking out, though missing Slade completely. He swung his arm out and landed a fist on Slade's side, but that only allowed Slade to take advantage of his motion and swing him straight into the corner of the kitchen window. He could feel a bruise already forming by his stomach and the loose fabric that had torn from his shirt. Whether the bruise had split open, he couldn't tell as he gasped and attempted to dodge Slade's next attack that sent him spiraling to the floor.

He attempted to roll away, but felt himself being lifted up by his hair, "_This_ isn't easy?"

Slade was taunting him. He head butted Slade's chin away and flipped over to the other side of the room, near the centerpiece. Slade smiled, and walked around the table, ignoring the banging on the door and the yells coming from behind it.

"What's the matter, not going to hit me?"

He was getting to him. He could see it.

"Argh!" Robin lunged forward but was instantly slammed into the armrest of the sofa, falling to the ground, though he skidded along to the windows.

"You claim to be so unhappy," Slade said, walking over.

"I am! I am!" Robin yelled.

He wasn't being taken seriously and he hated it. He was never taken seriously. Never...

"Hey," Slade said, holding his arms open, "I'm not saying that you're not."

Robin's jaw dropped, but before he knew what was happening, Slade had him in a tight headlock.

"But do you want to know why you're not happy?" Slade said, holding the teen's neck tightly.

Robin gasped and choked, struggling to pull Slade's arm off, but at the same time, he was becoming disoriented from the lack of oxygen. The headache became a migraine.

"It's because you won't accept your new life," Slade whispered.

New life? Robin panicked, he elbowed Slade in the gut and tumbled away, coughing a bit to relieve his bruised throat.

"As what?" He yelled, backing away.

Slade merely took out his staff and swatted it at the Boy Wonder, who did a backwards somersault to land out of the way. Robin dodged out of the way again as Slade attacked and used it to slide out towards the kitchen door, hoping that it would be open. It was locked. He barely managed to knock himself out of the way.

"As my apprentice," Slade coolly answered.

Just like all of those times before. Robin jumped to one of the mounted fixtures and held himself there, despite feeling bits of glass digging into his hand. He wished that Slade would just let this apprentice thing go...

"No! You killed Bruce! You took everything from me!" Robin argued, "I'm not going to be your apprentice!"

Slade chuckled and merely tossed one of the many jars at Robin's hand. The boy dodged it, but tumbled to the floor. He shook his head, but couldn't get his thoughts aligned before he felt Slade pick him up and drag him over to the dinner table, miraculously still as though it hadn't been touched. Robin struggled against Slade's grip, but it was hopeless.

"I'm interested," Slade said, picking up a steak knife left at Adeline's dish, "I took everything from you?"

He couldn't be intimidated.

_Bang! Bang!_

The door kept twitching.

"You killed Bruce! You took me away from my friends!" Robin cried out.

Slade chuckled, "What friends?"

Robin didn't have time to process it as he felt the cool metal being pressed against the side of his arm and chest, just before it would tear the skin.

"Those Titans, that used you?" Slade asked, "Those 'friends' that saw you as pathetic and weak?"

"They didn..." Robin gasped as he felt the knife threaten to push through.

Slade held it there ever so carefully, without lifting a finger.

"You know they did, Robin," Slade whispered, "I think you were smart to send them away..."

Robin shook his head at the 'compliment', "You killed Bruce, you killed Bruce..."

"And why should you care?" Slade asked.

As the banging and screaming from outside the room continued, he added, "When he never did?"

Robin struggled instinctively, accidentally drawing blood through scratches made by the teeth of the knife, which dripped down the metal. He sucked in his breath, the stinging almost like being shocked by an electric plug. And suddenly, Robin heard his own logic killing every bit of hope inside of him.

_"You think I don't care about your well being?" Bruce whispered and looked down at Dick._

_"No."_

_"And why would that be?" Bruce asked, leaning in and challenging the statement._

_"How about 'you'd take everything I ever had away'?" Dick asked, finding a silent road blocker._

No. He was wrong. He had been wrong. Bruce had protected him. He had...

"You could never argue with him," Slade whispered, "His word was law."

Slade tossed Robin to the floor and the Boy Wonder quickly moved out towards the kitchen window sill. He had to fight this. He needed to win... for Bruce... But this time was different. Slade wasn't holding back. It was... scary. And for whatever reason, the shock, not making the first strike, the disorientation... Robin didn't know which was the cause, maybe they all were, but Slade was like something shooting through the wind at him. He moved quickly and with enough force to make a good dent in a car at the very least. As soon as he was fully conscious of it, Robin attempted to keep himself from shaking.

"What was his excuse for his orders?" Slade asked, curious, "To protect you? Why didn't he teach you to be able to protect yourself?"

Robin leapt out of the way, avoiding a punch coming his way, and clung to one of the wall decorations.

"I'll answer that one," Slade said, looking up, watching Robin's terrified expression.

For that moment, he really thought that this man was actually going to kill him.

"Because he wanted to control you."

Robin shook his head. _No. No.... _

"No..."

Slade found the bo-staff that had been leaning to the side, twisting his fingers around it. He knew that Robin could take this. After all, the boy was incredibly resistant to pain and of course, Robin needed to be brought face to face with everything. Everything that he had been avoiding since he arrived....

"No? Break free from those ridiculous lies, Robin," Slade said, "You have such great potential. I can see it now, just by watching you."

Robin's grip on the wall piece tightened, his fingers going numb.

"He just never gave you the right training," Slade said, before tossing the bo-staff up at the piece, causing Robin to dodge out of the way, but his shoe lace caught hold of one of the antlers he had been holding onto, ripping his shoe off and throwing him off balance.

He landed under the dinner table, a few shards of glass digging into his back. He felt woozy...

"I don't care!" Robin yelled, scooting away from Slade's feet.

"Why?" Slade tossed a chair away, making Robin back away further.

"Because he gave you a life after your parents passing?" Slade demanded, "Did he give you a family?"

Robin paused as did Slade. _Ye... _

Slade laughed and Robin recoiled, backing towards the opposite side of the table, "What kind of family uses people, each other?"

Robin turned. He had to make a run for it. He had to get out of here. He had... Suddenly he heard the sound of something being tossed at him, splitting the still air and instantly, sharp pains reached his back and he screamed, falling to the floor. It was like several leaches had spread their reach through out his whole back and were sucking the blood out of him. The bruises thickened from a brown to a deep purple-blue.

As he looked up, he saw a broken chair in front of him, a few of the legs slightly ripped out of place. He gasped as he felt Slade lift him up by the shirt.

"I know it hurts," Slade cooed to him softly.

Robin shook his head, spreading the migraine towards the front of his forehead from the back of his neck.

"To think that you haven't had a family..." Slade commented.

Then Slade's eye met Robin's, "I can give you that, Robin."

Robin's mouth opened slightly as Slade continued, "I can give you what your parents wanted for you. I can help you succeed, be a teacher to you."

"No," Robin said, "They wouldn't want me to..."

"Be happy?" Slade asked.

Robin stopped, before Slade threw him back towards the fireplace. He hit the other sofa.

"I can give you a life again," Slade said, the sinister edge back in his voice.

"I don't want that kind of life!" Robin yelled, crawling away.

Slade ignored him, "Something Batman never did."

"No!" Robin felt his eyes becoming wet.

He loved his life before. He wanted to keep it. He wanted to laugh and joke with his friends and he wanted to drive through the streets of Gotham, flying past skyscrapers... Even if Bruce was dead. Even if... He had to keep his promise, become his successor... What kind of life would it be to live in terror? The kind of terror he was feeling now. He instinctively felt Slade reaching down to grab him by the collar again. He leapt out of the way to one of the wall hangings again, but this time, he didn't stop there and leapt up to the ceiling chandelier above the dinner table, holding on for dear life, hoping that it would hold him.

"Think of yourself for once," Slade said, "Live so that you can be happy!"

"I won't be happy!" Robin yelled, "I'm not going to follow you! I'm not!"

Slade walked over to the table and picked up the bloody steak knife. Robin looked down and was able to duck the spinning blade....

But it hit the chandelier's hold instead.

It came crashing down and somehow, by the skin of his teeth, Robin forced himself over to the sofa next to the table, falling to the floor with his momentum. He felt his right foot twist awkwardly and he cried out, his nerves all sending the same painful messages to his brain. He shook his head and slowly forced his way up, standing blearily, before he heard it, from behind. The Boy Wonder spun around to see Slade coming straight at him. Slade caught hold of his two wrists and slammed the boy into the coffee table, and Robin heard it cracking beneath him. He struggled to get free, to get out as Slade hovered over him from the side.

"Stop," Slade ordered.

Robin looked up at him instantly, their eyes never moving, "Just accept it."

Robin couldn't move, like his brain wasn't functioning. Slade was mere inches away from him.

"I did this for your benefit Robin," Slade told him, "Just look at you."

Robin shook his head; strands of hair held together by sweat fell from to the sides of his head or clung to his neck. As Slade's grip on his left arm loosened, he tried to free himself, only to feel Slade grab him harder and within a second's notice, pull his arm out of the shoulder socket. Robin gasped several times, the pain reaching down his arm, parallelizing him for the moment and making it difficult to remember to breathe.

"Look at what you can become," Slade said, gesturing down to Robin's toned arm and then to his chest, which was exposed in places where his shirt had torn, bringing Robin's focus to just how much he had trained himself already. But he hated Slade being in his face. He hated Slade even pointing at him. It made him struggle further and it became harder to think straight as he frantically, desperately wanted...

_Make it stop.... _

"They never let you," Slade whispered, "And never would..."

"Please..." Robin begged.

He had to get out. He had to keep his promise, to Bruce. The banging and the faint yells from the door wouldn't stop and it only mad his headache worse...

"How very sad... That you were in a position like that for so long..."

"Stop!"

Slade slapped Robin in the face and brought his hand up to grab Robin's chin again, a few of his fingers grasping at the boy's neck as well, forcing the boy to look at him. Robin struggled to free himself, an ever fading fight as Slade held his wrist while his fingers and palm twisted frantically... though that too began to die.

"You do not give me orders," Slade whispered sinisterly.

Robin felt mute, unable to say anything, any words to defend himself, his eyes wetter than they had ever been in the last few weeks.

Slade laughed amused, "Has it finally gotten through to you?"

Robin remained frozen as Slade continued, "What am I to you?"

Robin gasped and swallowed, trying desperately in his mind to not answer... He just wanted it to stop.

"I'm waiting," Slade whispered, to the torn and bleeding boy looking up at him.

"...Master..." Robin's lips finally muttered, trembling.

"What was that?" Slade edged on.

"Master!" Robin yelled, terror taking over his will to remain silent.

Slade smiled, "That's right, Robin... But what else?"

What _else?_

Robin's mind rewound everything. Everything that Slade had ever said, done. Wasn't 'Master' good enough... Slade saw Robin's masked eyes freeze. He had found 'what else'. Robin looked up at him like he was crazy. He couldn't say that. He could never say that. How could... He couldn't do that! The constant banging on the door didn't even register anymore.

"I said 'what else'?" Slade repeated, leaning forward so that Robin could feel Slade's hot breath tickling his neck and cheek, causing him to shiver because... he really was afraid.

"No... no, no... please, don't make me..."

Slade lifted Robin up briefly and slammed him back into the table, making Robin feel as though he had cracked his skull, the rest of his body, losing any form of sense. The boy yelped.

"What else!?!" Slade demanded.

Robin gasped, the tears finally recognizing their place, purpose, as he felt like he was dieing inside.

_I'm sorry._

Robin muttered something that barely qualified as a word, not even able to look at Slade

"What was that?" Slade asked him.

Robin looked up at him, submissively, "... father..."

"I couldn't quite hear that," He egged.

"FATHER!!!" Robin screamed, "Father! You're, you're a father... to me... a father..."

And with that, Robin felt the tears, flowing past his eyes, the mask and he felt his chest heave up and down as he sobbed. What kind of person was he...

_I'm sorry._

Slade leaned back, to his own surprise, finally satisfied. The boy kept sobbing even after he let him go, all the while, the boy's lips moved back and forth as though repeating the same inaudible line. Robin cried on the table, unable to take it. His head was killing him; his body was numb except for pin points where the pain was overwhelming. And all the while, the worst thing about it was the absolute hate for himself, which washed over him, like he couldn't feel it, however much he wanted to. Slade patted Robin's cheek twice, before holding it which, each time to Robin felt like he was being stung with a venomous poison.

"That's my boy."

Just outside, Adeline continued to bang on the door, her throat beginning to become horse and sore from yelling so much, "Slade! Slade! Let me in! Slade, come on! Slade!"

She was cut short as the door pulled open and the sight in front of her made her stomach heave. His pants had a few holes in them as though they had been caught on a corner. His shirt held the same lackluster, though parts also looked as though the fabric had been severely stretched and he was missing a shoe... She stepped back as Slade walked past her, carrying a boy in his arms. A bruised, bloody, tear stained, crying boy, who didn't even seem to care what was going on around him. She only caught a few words coming from Dick that both startled and alarmed her.

"I'm sorry... I'm, I'm sorry, please... I'm sorry..." He continued, barely uttering the words from his mouth as he rested against Slade's chest as Slade held him up by his back and the backs of his knees, the boy's feet and arms dangling limply down towards the ground.

"...Slade?" Adeline finally managed, "What... what happened?"

Slade could hear the scared tone in her voice, but as he was prone to do, solemnly answered, "He'll be alright."

And he walked off without so much as stopping, leaving her to stand in shock in the empty hallway.

The whole way there, Slade continued to hear Robin apologizing. To who or for what, he really didn't feel like it mattered. He opened the door to Robin's room and carefully, placed the boy on the bed.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He walked over to a small chest in the corner and opened it up to reveal a small syringe. Robin didn't even seem to notice. This would help him, for now, to calm down. Slade cleaned a patch of skin on Robin's arm and carefully slipped the needle underneath it. Gently, he pushed it in allowing it to take hold of Robin's conscious.

"... i'm sorry... i'm sorry..."

"Shhh..." Slade whispered, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

Robin gasped weakly and shook his head barely... "... i'm... sorry..."

_...Bruce. _

Slade watched as Robin fell asleep and the tears begin to cake on his face and under his mask as the last thing Robin saw was a faint green glow from a fading memory... It was amazing really. After months of planning, a month of working with the boy, weakening his mental walls guarding whatever the Bat had told him were worthy of such protection... He had done it. Robin knew who he was now. Robin was his Apprentice and he was Robin's Master. He looked away, the last piece of what he had done finally catching up to him.

How extraordinary it was... the thing that he had created. From a successor, he had somehow managed to gain a son as well. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt in ages. The pride one haves from being... a father. While perhaps, he realized that he had never been fully adept to recognizing or acknowledging that desire of being a father, the feeling, to have it fulfilled... It really was extraordinary...

He glanced back at the sleeping boy, who now knew how fully dependent he was on him. Slade got up and left, knowing that the boy would need medical attention far beyond that of a simple anesthesia. He moved past the door and before he closed it, he looked back at Robin. The teen, no matter how old he had gotten, he still held that youthful face, almost like a child's. Slade slowly, passively shut the door and walked off, his work, his goal, finally done.

_"And then the thought that followed, unmediated and genuine, nearly broke his heart as reality rushed up behind it, twisted and gruesome. Under the inky black waters of the Cape Carmine Bay, Dick Grayson's lips, blue with cold and lack of oxygen, parted in frenetic entreaty. He called out for help, for comfort, for defense, for mercy, for warmth... _

_He called out for his mother."_

-DC Universe: Inheritance

Page 225

By Devin Grayson

-T-

**A/N:** Sighs, wow... You know, finishing it... Wow... I've been waiting an entire month, waiting to write this so that it came out just right and... Here it is. I hope it was worth the wait! Please Review! I know this is a really depressing chapter, but really, I'm very pleased and happy with how it turned out. I don't think I could have written it any better. All it took was time... and maybe just some good old fashioned pen and paper writing too... ;-) By the way, the quote really has nothing to do with this chapter. It didn't inspire it or anything, but I was reading over the section of the book it was in and felt that it gives one a good sense as to what it takes to really upset or distress Robin. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter and that it was worth the wait. Stay awesome! Later!

~Rena

PS. Wouldn't it suck if I had said 'The End' at the end of this chapter? Ha... I kill myself and I know, you would have all killed me for that first anyway... lol.


	34. Chapter 34: The Tamaranian Superpower

**Disclaimer:** Um... sure... I totally own Teen Titans... Uh... No, I don't. I just wanted to see your reaction to see if you'd believe. But yeah, I don't own them. That would be the best birthday gift ever though, just fyi, lol.

**Author's Note:** It feels like it's been a while since I updated, which is weird, considering my last update took way longer. Perhaps it's just the time of year. By the way, anyone ready to drop dead because of all of the pollen? Because I am and it's terrible this year. Alright, enough with the downs of spring, because the weather is fantastic. I mean, well, really because I'm sure that you all want to read the chapter instead, lol. Anyway, I want you all to think back to all of those chapters involving Lex Luthor now. You'll find them very important in this chapter. So here it is: "Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tamaranian Superpower."

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tamaranian Superpower**

It was an odd sensation. His head felt very light, though the rest of him felt like nothing. He just couldn't feel the rest of himself. When he opened his eyes, everything was blurred. He saw a tall figure writing something down and tried to make a sound. Slade looked at him and walked over, putting a hand on his forehead. It felt cold. Slade sighed.

"How are you feeling?"

He tried to talk, but his speech was slurred, "haaat... ow..."

"You're alright. You're just feeling the remnants of the anesthesia. You've been out of it for a day," Slade told him, "You should be feeling much better. though, when the anesthesia wears off."

Robin shut his eyes as he focused on breathing, though he did well to pay attention to Slade. "It's early now, but in an hour, if you feel up to it, I'd like you to come to breakfast."

Though Robin couldn't see himself feeling better in an hour, his mouth twitched, telling Slade that he would. The man brushed Robin's bangs out of his face and watched him for a moment before turning to go.

"Don't worry about the IVs," he told him, "You don't need them anymore."

The door shut and he was alone. To his surprise, he began to feel the anesthesia already wearing off. There were still places that didn't seem to be losing the numb sensation, but he was beginning to feel his nerves picking up signals from where he hadn't been injured. He opened his eyes and looked around. There was an IV in his left arm and diagnostic sensor on the side of his chest. Whatever had happened to him... He couldn't really think straight, so he decided not to, since he didn't have to.

At least Slade had decided to make sure his injuries healed properly. He turned his head to the side. Slade... and... bits and pieces of his mind felt shattered. Like a glass picture his by a baseball. The edges and rims of other people in images were all he could retain at the moment, as his stomach droppedand he felt sick. There was one image that refused to be recalled, as every time he tried to do so, his head felt it would tear open. As much as he wanted to recall the image, a twisted premonition of fear overcame him.

When he finally could feel most of himself again, he looked over at the clock and realized that he had fifteen minutes to join Slade at the breakfast table. Moving his hand over, he carefully pulled out the IV and the diagnostic device before scooting himself up and off of the bed. His foot was extremely stiff and tingled as he walked. He noticed both his foot and his dislocated shoulder had been bandaged up, as well as right hand. He pulled his shirt off and went to the dresser, pulling out what came...

He noticed other injuries marring himself as he changed and actually spiked his hair up for the first time in about a month. The side of his stomach had a large line of stitches in it as did a small part of his lower left arm. In other places, inches of gauze were taped over him, wounds he assumed came from the glass. As for his back... a thick, cool compress held itself over several fading bruises. They must have been much worse before now. Three minutes to go and he was ready. Except...

In the main room, Adeline attempted to focus on the paper in front of her and drink her water. She hadn't seen Dick in a day and it worried her. Actually she had been worried since she had been kicked out of the dining room two days ago. And of course Slade wouldn't tell her anything. At least the room had gone back to normal. The morning after the fight, Adeline didn't think she could stand to look at it. What had Slade done? The question begged to be asked, but at the same time, Adeline didn't feel that she would get an answer for that, either.

To her right, Slade stood by the window, the air muggy from the past week. The fact that Robin had at least woken up was a good sign. That meant that his early suspicions had been correct. Though if Robin were to get up and join them, that would be... The door opened and both of them looked over. Adeline dropped her glass and water spilled over the table and paper.

Robin stood fully dressed in an outfit that resembled Slade's. Orange on one side, black on the other, the armor extremely similar, and a silver "S" over the left side of his chest... It had been a long time since Slade had seen Robin in _that_. He smiled under his own mask. Adeline was stunned, but what made her feel sick was the touch at the top. Slade walked over to Robin, hands behind his back as always and stared at Robin. The Boy Wonder held himself there, posture fixed, despite the fact that underneath the protective armor, his wounds were still smarting.

Slade brought a hand under the boy's chin and tilted it up so that Robin looked up at him. The mask. That is what was different. The entire time that he had been there, Robin had either not worn a mask, or had kept the one remaining from the Bat. Not now. Instead, the mask had two spikes, one on each end at the corners of his eyes, that tilted up, resembling Slade's.

Slade smiled again and dropped his hand, "You feel well enough?"

Robin nodded and turned his head back to the ground. Adeline's mouth dropped as Slade continued, "If you could get Ms. Kane another glass..."

Robin nodded and immediately left for the kitchen, only to return seconds later with a full glass and a towel for the mess. Shocked, Adeline took the glass, and moved aside as Robin quickly cleaned up the spill. He placed the towel on the kitchen window and stood to the side, waiting. Like a soldier. Adeline felt sick.

Slade chuckled, walking over to his apprentice, "You impress me, Robin."

Robin didn't move and Slade continued, tilting Robin's chin up to see him, "Perhaps we'll up the level of your training this week."

It really wasn't a 'perhaps' or a 'we'll'. Slade would increase the training level -- that was certain. Robin nodded once. The result of the other night, Robin's behavior, it was beyond anything that Slade could have asked for. Adeline couldn't even talk. Wintergreen came in the room and brought in two dishes for Slade and Robin. Slade thanked him and the old friend left. Robin stood there, not making a sound and after a moment, Slade looked back at him.

He shook his head, "You can eat."

Robin's eyes opened slightly and nodded as Slade finished, "Very impressive, Robin."

Robin nodded again before sliding into the seat. The absolute obedience... The etiquette... How... Adeline slowly got up from her seat.

"Ex.. excuse me..." She said before turning and exiting the room.

She needed to lie down. Robin watched her before turning back to his food. He took a bite and the rest of breakfast was quiet. It was neither awkward nor unwanted on either Slade's or Robin's part. It was just simply silent.

-T-

Something that Starfire had never experienced on her homeland was the massive infrastructure that made up Earth's many cities. Over time, she became used to the tall skyscrapers within Jump and Gotham and she marveled at the creative urban layouts a city could be built upon. But Metropolis. Metropolis was an entirely different story.

Unlike contemporary Jump or classic Gotham, Metropolis' rich identity arose from its variety, history, and above all else, its vibrancy. Every form of building, from every decade, was represented in every area of Metropolis. Their defining features were how they were maintained. It was clean, fresh to the eye. Every window shone in the sunlight, making the city sparkle with a golden glow.

For Earth's resident Tamaranian, it was both beautiful and overwhelming at the same time as she walked down the sidewalks, taking a break from her long flights in favor of walking. For the past three days, she had flown from city to city, originally planning on returning to Gotham and giving herself a few days to travel to organize her thoughts.

She couldn't understand how she could possibly get anything done with the attitude and present customs that Earth presented. But if she could sort out what she knew instead of ignoring it or simply letting Robin deal with it, then maybe a solution would come to her. During her travels, though, she came to a point where the road that she had been following forked. She could either go to Gotham or Metropolis.

Throughout the past two days of travel, she had come to only two conclusions: One was that there was no way that anyone could understand Earth's laws. The second was that Robin probably would not be pleased to see her, as he had avoided talking to the Titans for the past month. And more than anything, she hated confronting her friends...

The Tamaranian had heard of Metropolis, though. Who hadn't? It was the very definition of an American city. With all of the hopes and dreams of New York, Metropolis prided itself in its significance within the United States as a symbol of inspiration. And of course, there was their resident superhero.

The last son of Krypton, Superman.

Fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.

The last son of Krypton.

If anyone knew why Earth operated the way it did, anyone outside of the immediate culture, it would have to be Superman. Though Starfire had only met him in passing, she felt that taking a detour to speak with him was worth a shot. So here she was, walking through the bewildering city, entirely lost. Maybe it would be better if she flew...

As she crossed the street, Starfire came across a large building. Tall and separated from the rest, above it read the sign "LexCorp". It sounded familiar... She shivered, despite the weather being warmer than most places, and readjusted her backpack. She kept walking, passing a delivery man walking towards the large corporate office. He opened the door and walked to the front desk to hand a package off. It was exchanged and put on the automatic delivery service to the top floor.

From there, the package entered the hands of a very slim secretary, chewing her gum like always. She knocked on her boss' door. As she entered, she could hear the clear displeasure in the occupant's voice.

"If you're bothering me, you had better be here to tell me that Westfield's..."

"Relax, baby," Marcie said, "I've got your package. Dr. Westfield, Cadmus Labs and all in the return address."

Luthor spun to the side of his desk and got up. He was over in front of her in a second and took the package, ripping open the thick manila envelope to find a small disk inside. He tossed the envelope to the side and sat down at his desk. He scanned the disk in a small virus detector by the side of his computer before inserting it and waiting for its contents to load. The connection was almost instant. Almost. And the instant seemed to drag on.

Westfield appeared on the screen, "Mr. Luthor. Your contract with us is now complete."

"I can see that," Luthor said, "Now tell me, the Xeno-cannon is entirely up and operational, right?"

"Of, of course," Westfield stuttered, "It could be moved right out of here right now if you wanted it to."

Lex smirked at the sad excuse for a scientist, "Really? Well..."

He looked out to the side of the window, "I'm glad that I have direct control of it now."

Westfield nodded slowly, a bit confused, when Lex pulled up another screen and hit enter. On the other side of the screen, Westfield turned around to see the Xeno-cannon activating. The connection terminated. The miracle of telecommunication and remote control became a curse as Cadmus failed to override Luthor's control. Of course it was no use.

Outside Cadmus Labs, Lane marched out of the front doors. The nerve, turning her away. Then again, she should probably be used to it by now. Her reason for being here? Her search into Luthor's finances had led her into some of the current president's father's records and dealings when LexCorp had been LuthorCorp. One was one of them was a government lab that had broken off in recent years to become Cadmus. The reporter then began to realize that many of Luthor's bills, made out without reason, had appeared to be going to government agencies, matched old codes that identified Cadmus. In fact, all of them did.

She had smirked at the revelation. She had been right. Luthor was up to something. So it would figure that she would get kicked out of Cadmus almost as soon as she had walked in. Lois scowled at the ground as she pulled out her phone to call Clark. Maybe bragging would make her feel better if only for a moment. She turned around to look back at the Labs' front glass doors, to see the two security men leaving their posts.

"Huh?" She forgot her phone was ringing.

"Hello? Lois?" Silence, "Lois? Are you there?"

"Huh?" Lois was pulled out of her trance, "Um, sorry, Clark, never mind..."

"Lois? Lois? Where are you?" The star reporter began to tune him out.

"I'm at Cadmus Labs... following a lead..." She peered inside and walked back towards the front to get a better view without the glare...

"A lead, what lead?" Clark asked over the phone.

"Luthor's..." Lois looked to the side after she noticed that she couldn't get in without it being unlocked from the inside, "Finances... look, Clark, I'll call you back. I think I might have something."

She ran around to the back to see if she could sneak in another way (trespassing never came to her mind anymore). "Well, okay, well, listen, Lois..."

Lane pressed her head to a window, hearing something... like screaming as Clark continued, "If you need anything..."

_**BANG!!!**_

Lois fell to the side as she screamed, dropping her phone. Her mouth dropped as she looked up to see a massive, six story tall, armor covered machine making its way out of the building into the streets of Metropolis. Lois stood up and ran to the side to look into the building to see several people lying on the ground unconscious. Turning back to the six-story machine, she strapped her bag to her side and ran off, grateful to be wearing sneakers today instead of just her office heels. Her phone however, was completely forgotten.

At least, by its owner.

On the other end, Clark had canceled his order in the Deli near the Daily Planet in favor of running outside to get a better view. Upon hearing Lois' scream, his worry had shot up dramatically. He scanned Metropolis with his X-Ray vision to the area of town containing Cadmus. While he couldn't find Lois, he did find a six-story machine coming towards the center of the city. If that wasn't what Lois was screaming about, he didn't know what was. First though... the wreckage...

He scanned the fallen debris for anyone trapped. No one, no sign of Lois, just her cell phone. That meant that she was alright. He knew her well enough to know that. So he flew off towards the machine when he came into the vision field of its cameras. Luthor smiled.

"Come on, Superman, I dare you," he smirked.

Looking for the weakest point, Superman flew like a bullet towards a section of two armored pieces. But upon impact, he found himself rocketing off into a building. The shock echoed throughout the city and people everywhere turned around to see what was going on, including their visiting Tamaranian and two men working in the Daily Planet. As Perry ordered the young freelancer, Olsen, off to get pictures of whatever was going on, Superman groaned.

"What was that?" he asked to himself.

He moved to bring his hands back into fists when he felt them sting. They were bleeding. Great, he guessed the thing was covered with some form of Kryptonite. He flew up again, deciding to switch to using long range tactics. He blew against the machine before hitting it with a blast of laser vision. It looked weaker, but it kept moving as Luthor directed it towards the center of the city. He tried again. Still nothing. Maybe the coating was gone. He aimed at the front, blew his icy breath against it and quickly hit it with the intensity of his laser vision before flying in to ram it backwards off balance.

Again, he felt himself propelled backwards into the concrete streets. He shook his head again, noting that his knuckles had been ripped open further. The Kryptonite coating was resisting all force and weathering deterrents. As he looked up at the machine, he saw that the machine was tilting off balance, ready to topple.... But as Luthor had designed it, its massive center of gravity pulled it upright. Superman's jaw dropped. It should have... But before he could finish his thought, Luthor decided that they were far enough into town to unleash the massive super weapon. Even so, the two simultaneous bangs were enough to move Starfire into action.

"That can not be good..." she said to herself, flying up into the air.

Superman heard the machine squirm inside and suddenly shoot up several poles which spread open a screen almost in a dome shape, colored with a tinge of green. Finally catching up, Lois watched as the dome rose much higher than the rest of the city, a massive amount of concentration of energy appearing to hold up its center. The lime-green tinge didn't make her feel any more comfortable about it, either.

"Ms. Lane! Ms. Lane!"

"Jimmy!" she called, turning to see him running over to her.

"What is that thing?" he asked.

"Don't know," hhe answered looking up at it, "It came from Cadmus Labs and I'm certain that Luthor's behind it."

"How do you know..." Jimmy started when he shook his head to begin taking photos, "Never mind, but how's Superman fairing up...?"

Lois glanced over at the hero slowly getting up from the ground, "I... I don't know..."

"Do you think we should stay here or..." Jimmy began as the sound of his camera's shutter clicked away.

"We're staying here," Lois said, "That's gotta be Kryptonite and if it is..."

Jimmy shook his head, "Can't Luthor be at least a little more original..."

"When is anyone?" Lois countered sarcastically.

Across the way, Starfire flew up, discarding her bag to a nearby rooftop when she caught sight of Superman, who still hadn't seen her. But the machine in front of her worried her more than her impeding social dilemma. Superman flew up, determined to find a weak point. Even if the screen was coated in Kryptonite, he could most likely still rip through it...

Luthor laughed as he initiated the weapon's power. Starfire heard an all too familiar sound as the dome, already casting a shadow, began to be infused with the tower's energy. Superman halted momentarily, at which point, the sound blasted. Starfire covered her ears as the machine echoed Cyborg's sonic blast over Metropolis. Most only covered their heads, as the two reporters did below. But some... Starfire watched as Superman cried out, the sound burning his ears and skin, causing him to sink to the ground faster than he had before.

"Superman!" She called, but he couldn't move, save to open his eyes to see who was calling him, and he saw rockets now emerging from their stations inside the machine aiming directly at him.

They fired.

"No!" Starfire yelled.

She flew forward and blasted several of them, as starbolts came to her hands and from her eyes. Luthor stood up. What was... Starfire headed straight for the rocket launchers, punching them off into heaps of wreckage. Lois watched as she began to tolerate the constant whine coming from the above. Jimmy began to take photos again.

"Who is that?" he yelled over the sound.

"Well, it's not Supergirl," Lois yelled back, "She looks familiar, though. Can you get a close shot?"

"Already did," Jimmy said, showing her a quick photo from the digital preview.

"She's with the Teen Titans," Lois called and suddenly it occurred to her, "Stay here, I'm going to LexCorp!"

"What?" Jimmy called, not noticing the writer heading off into the opposite direction as he continued to take pictures.

If their visiting superhero continued to take out the machine, and from what she had already seen Lois was sure she could, a bit of evidence linking this to Luthor would be extremely useful for tomorrow's front page. Meanwhile, Starfire finished dismantling the rocket launchers and went to rescue her fallen comrade. She lifted Superman's arm over her shoulders and flew him to safety, and unhooked her Titans Communicator.

"Cyborg!" she called into it and instantly, Beast Boy was on the other line.

"Starfire! Where have you been? I mean, thanks for up and leave..."

"Where is friend Cyborg?" she interrupted.

"Of course, you'd want to talk to him because... Hey!"

Cyborg pushed the green kid out of the way, "What's up? Star?"

"How do you shut off your sonic cannon?" she asked demanded.

"Huh?" Cyborg asked, surprised, "Why?"

"I found who stole your designs of technology," Starfire explained.

"What? Who?" Cyborg asked.

"Well it is mainly a where..." Starfire started, "But how do you shut the sonic cannon down?"

Cyborg shook his head, "You have to disconnect the wires on the inside. If you can, look for clues as to who is controlling the remake."

"I will do," Starfire said, terminating the connection and setting Superman aside.

In a streak of light, she readied a starbolt and increased its power before letting it loose on the sonic-cannon remake. It hit its target and exploded a piece of the exterior, allowing for Starfire to fly inside. The mass of connecting technology inside it was smoking, making it difficult to see, but with her eyes lit, she was able to see the many wires she had to pull.

Outside LexCorp, Lois easily found her way inside as more people were worried about their possible impending doom to care about trespassers. Riding up to the top floor, Lois readied her voice recorder. Luthor had to be behind this! At a certain point however, the elevator stopped and Lois was forced out to a floor about ten floors below the top. No matter, the stairs would do from here. She continued her way up.

On the top floor, Luthor stood outraged. There was no way he was going to let some teenage girl stop him now, considering all of the time and money he had put into this. The worse luck he could have was that this was a Titan. It couldn't be Supergirl today, oh no, it had to be someone unaffected by Kryptonite.

"Marcie, leave!" he ordered, knowing that he needed another offensive and all of his focus.

Marcie rolled her eyes and stormed out at the sudden order. As she left the room, Luthor pulled up another computer program. As soon as she shut the door, Lois found her pressure point and she slid unconscious to the floor. Carefully, she passed the small mike underneath the door just before it would be visible on the other side. Then she stood up and listened in.

"Come on, come on..." Luthor said, "Where are those heat seekers..."

She smiled; she had been right all along. Inside the Xeno-Cannon though, Luthor's luck was fading. He could no longer move the machine because if he did he would have to switch off the cannon, which he could now no longer power back up if he did so. Outside the Xeno-Cannon, Jimmy continued to click away when in a burst of green light, Starfire, emerged from the Xeno-Cannon.

"That was... distasteful..." Starfire muttered to herself, still coughing, when she looked up.

She had followed Cyborg's instructions, but the sound was still permeating the area. She pulled the communicator out and began to text Cyborg back, 'cannon still functioning'. As she continued to pelt the machine and dome with starbolts, she heard the communicator ring again. Pulling it to eye level she read 'destroy the power source then - idk where that would be, though'.

Starfire bit her lip when the center five poles emerging from the cannon caught her eye as they swarmed with the green glow. The power source... She began to fly straight at it when she heard a voice coming from the giant machine, sounding much like a classic over-the-phone male instructor.

"I'm giving you fair warning, girl," the voice said as Luthor spoke into the microphone in his office, still unaware of Lois' voice recorder at the bottom of his door, "Surrender now. You have no chance of beating me."

Starfire stopped and her glowing eyes looked at the machine directly before announcing, "I never surrender and if you believe that I have no chance of defeating you, then you have certainly underestimated me."

Luthor repressed the urge to growl. Behind her, several rockets seemed to come out of nowhere and she flew back into action. Moving out of their line of fire, they changed course and began to follow her. She narrowed her eyes and let loose a few starblazers. They exploded in a fiery fury and she set course again for the five poles.

"No!" Luthor yelled (the microphone was switched off) and then muttered to himself, "Wayne's Xeno-mineral converter..."

Inside, Lois scrunched up her forehead in thought... Xeno-mineral... Kryptonite... So that's how it was radiating its energy in the form of sound! In the open, Starfire finally got close enough to the five poles and aimed. Her starbolts were deflected. She flew in and instantly felt the electric energy pulsing threw her body as she positioned herself between all five poles. The Tamaranian groaned...

_'Do not give up now,'_ she told herself.

Starfire thought of the nerve that a person would have to steal her friend's technology. She thought of their terrible desire to harm others, especially someone who has done nothing but help others. She thought of her friends helping her on the other side of the country. She thought of Robin and her intense desire to bring him home... Her body began to glow, not from the electricity, but from her own raw power as she gained the Star energy... Jimmy watched as the teen began to rise to the middle of the five poles and the outward glow of green covered her entirely.

_**BOOM!!!**_

The starblast rocketed outward, crippling the five poles and destroying the Xeno-Mineral converter. Above her, the pieces of the dome began to crumple like aluminum as they deteriorated and fell while the powerful surge of the Kryptonite coating of the cannon dissolved. People cheered, even Jimmy, who had stopped taking photos for just a minute to do so. But inside his office, Lex banged his fists on his desk, infuriated.

_"NO!!!"_ He yelled, _"NO!!!"_

Lois smiled and pulled the mike away and ran to the stairs. Her work here was done and Perry would love the next day's lead article. At the scene of the fight, Starfire looked around, dazed, the entire scene a blur as her energy had left her. The cannon was dismantled. Metropolis was safe... But that's when the backfire hit and she screamed. The electric blast hit her like an atomic blast and she fell into the heap of twisted wires and metal that was once a great menace. Starfire moaned and squinted. Above her, she saw a figure outlined in the sun before she finally passed out.

-T-

**A/N:** Well, who enjoyed that? We catch up on poor Robin and what situation he's in and then we head over to Metropolis for more action. Wow, I hope Luthor doesn't kill me for that. But yeah, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! I don't get to write Starfire in battle much and I really love to because I think she really is a powerful opponent. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the last 'starblast' attack that she used, it was based off of an ability that she has in the comics where she disperses large amounts of 'star'-energy in almost a bomb-blast type form, though it does tremendously weaken her. Quick fact there. But yeah, keep smiling and stay awesome! Later!

~Rena :-)


	35. Chapter 35: Connections

**Disclaimer:** I'm ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent sure that I don't own them. If that point zero one percent chance turns out to be true, then I know that I'm dreaming...

**Author's Note:** I know I'm late, but all things considered, I feel lucky to have completed this chapter in the time that I did. Been doing projects and working and everything else involved with this time of the year. It doesn't help that I now have easy access to a library full of comics and manga... Yeah, I'm trying to restrain myself. On the bright side, summer's on its way! Vacations galore! And of course, more updates than usual! :-D Alright, so enough with the quick author's note. On to "Chapter Thirty-Five: Connections"!

-T-

**Custody:**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Connections**

The stiff smell of pine seemed frozen in the air. But it was nice… in a way. In another, it didn't matter. Robin climbed over a few rocks, following closely behind Slade. There was a mist covering the woods while the only sounds came from the sticks that they stepped on -- if they stepped on them. For the most part, they were each equally silent. Robin didn't know why they were out here in the first place, but he didn't say anything.

Adeline was behind them, not much so caring where they were going or how much sound they made. Her intense anger at Slade had returned and while her first instinct had been to stay at the estate, upon hearing that Robin would be coming with Slade, she immediately volunteered to come. Slade had no objections. Even if Robin had given up on her, she knew that wasn't a reason to stop keeping an eye on things, especially after everything that had happened and Robin's... sudden change. She wasn't going to stand by and let things happen. She couldn't afford to because at this point, who else could she rely on?

So out of the three, only one of them knew what they were doing out here. He liked it that way, too. Slade glanced to his side to see Robin behind him. Not trying to run, not struggling, just obeying orders. He smiled.

"Robin, let's see how well you can trail me," Slade said and Robin looked up; Slade turned to their third party member, "We won't go far, Adeline."

With that, Slade was off. Or rather, they were off, as Robin's actions were almost immediate. As Slade blazed through the forest, Robin ran and darted through it just as easily. A bit less forcefully and more on the swifter side, but that was how Robin did everything. Slade moved so that he was maybe seven feet ahead of his apprentice. Glancing back, he watched Robin's motions.

There was... something. Something that he couldn't place that felt... off. It was probably because Robin hadn't been out in a good month. Finally, he found a rock formation and landed on it, stopping in his tracks. Robin was by his side in half a second, standing up straight and staring downward at the ground. Slade looked to the side, his own adrenaline rushing.

Robin looked up at him and Slade chuckled, "You don't let yourself lag behind, do you?"

The Boy Wonder was about to shake his head once, but instead he looked at the ground when they heard a familiar voice behind them as Adeline ran to catch up.

"You call that 'not far'?" she asked.

"I never said that you had to follow us," Slade replied, "We would have come back."

Adeline rolled her eyes, "I don't doubt that you would, but I'm not about to lose either of you."

Slade glanced off into the distance, "Do you think that you could be a bit quieter, Adeline?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, astonished.

"Shh..." Slade whispered, while waving the Boy Wonder over, "Robin."

Robin followed without a word, as he and Slade walked down a small edge into a stream bed. Standing on the sandy mud, Slade pointed ahead of them, where upstream a fawn stood grazing, lapping the water with her baby next to her. Robin watched them with some interest, though he couldn't help but wonder why Slade had brought his attention to them. That's when he saw Slade slowly bring out a gun from his pocket.

Robin's eyes went wide, "What..."

Slade showed him the gun model, "Normally, I'd use something larger, but this works just as well."

He held it out to Robin who looked at it like it was a foreign object. Above, them, Adeline leaned over, watching in shock. Slade smirked and placed it in Robin's hands and suddenly, for reasons Robin couldn't quite discern, he felt himself go stiff. He felt Slade cover his own hands and bring the gun up to eye level and out.

"Take a shot," Slade said, "It's good practice."

Robin looked over at him, entirely at a loss. What he... Take a shot? Why did this not feel right? Why couldn't he? He felt his finger jam in the gun, making him nervous. He took his fingers out of place and shakily tried to put them back in correctly. Slade looked up at the fawn and the baby and then down to Robin, who was obviously was having trouble. Perhaps this was moving too quickly...

He placed a hand on Robin's shoulder and Robin looked up, panicked, "It's alright."

"You can get a shot when you're ready," Slade said, taking the gun from Robin.

Suddenly, Robin began to feel relief as the gun was taken out of his hand. But it was cut short with a sudden _'BANG'_. Robin looked up to see that Slade had taken aim and fired. Up ahead, the fawn had fallen into the stream and the baby had taken off scared. Blood began to trickle down the stream until it reached Robin's hand, and he fell back as Slade walked ahead to clean the deer enough to carry it back to the estate.

Once he did that, Slade glanced back to see Robin still sitting in shock. He walked back and held out a hand and Robin knew that he was to follow. The mastermind went back to the fawn and lifted it up over his shoulders. Robin watched. He felt that he should say something. Apologize, explain, but he couldn't. And Slade could tell. He could tell that Robin was struggling. He chose to leave it for now.

From across the way, Adeline watched, her eyes narrowed at the dead deer. She had never liked the fact that Slade was a hunter, but as long as she wasn't present, she was normally fine with it. But there was another thing on her mind: Robin's behavior. And she knew that it was on Slade's mind as well. The three began walking back to the Estate. Adeline glanced up at the two in front of her every now and then. She knew that Slade could tell that Robin was uneasy and that there was something different about him. '_Well, good,'_ she thought, 'G_ood_.'

-T-

Outside, the crisp air beat against the residents of Gotham, most just trying to get to work. As it was early in the morning, most were half dazed and still tired from the night before. It was no surprise if one was bumped into. In that way, it was an advantage to be fairly large in stature. Thus Wade DeFarge was one of the few lucky ones who could make his way through the crowd. He was done with this city. Long done. No money, no point, it was a stupid job to take. In a lot of ways, he didn't understand why he took it in the first place. The anonymous were always bound to give you trouble.

Wade crossed the street towards the monorail line which would take him to the airport. He walked around to the elevator where he saw a sign hanging from the side reading 'Out Of Order'. Great. Now he had to take the stairs, which was only about four stories worth of climbing. He could do it. sure, but in the mood that he was in, he really didn't want---

"Huhh!" He yelled.

Wade felt himself being slammed against the wall of the alley he had walked passed previously.

"Wade DeFarge."

"You picked the wrong day to mess with me," Wade said, before twisting out of his captor's grip and turning to land a punch.

However, his attacker was quicker and for some reason, in a fouler mood than he was. Grabbing him by his shirt and throwing him to the ground, Red X picked DeFarge up and rammed him into the wall once again, holding him there.

"Where's Ms. Kane?" he demanded.

"Who?" Wade asked.

"_Adeline Kane!!!"_ Red X yelled, "I know you're Ravager, DeFarge, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything! I haven't seen her in years!" Wade spat.

"Don't lie to me!" Red X hissed, "What did you do to her?"

"I swear!"

"Then where is she?" Red X asked.

"Do you think I keep tabs on her?" Wade yelled back, fighting off the headache he was getting.

Red X glared at him, so angry that he couldn't make sense of it, "Who did you work for?"

"Some guy, I don't know. I hate you anonymous lot, you know, I do," Wade rambled. Red X threw him to the ground.

"You only killed Wayne. So whoever got to Adeline was probably the person who killed everyone else..." Red X said, mostly to himself.

"Why did you take the job?" Red X inquired, finally turning his attention back to Ravager.

"Like I'd tell you," Ravager spat.

Red X kneed him in the stomach and Ravager repressed the urge to chuck his lunch, "I don't know, you've told me a lot already..."

"Fine! It was Deathstroke! Deathstroke was gonna kill Wayne and I got to it before he did!" Wade told him, "I hate the man, I hate him!"

"Yeah, yeah, go get some therapy," Red X said, beginning to walk off.

"Hope Adeline's dead, you rat! I hope they're all dead!" Wade yelled.

Red X stopped cold in his tracks and turned around, "You're going to regret getting on my nerves."

Wade's malicious grin suddenly fell from his face. Ten minutes later outside the G.C.P.D. Wade was tied up to the front steps, a red X keeping him there tied securely. He looked up to a building rooftop to see a smug look on Red X's face.

"Told you, you'd regret it," Red X said, walking off.

"RAT!!!" DeFarge screamed from below, but Red X ignored him.

So Deathstroke was involved. That meant that he was probably behind the other killings and probably behind... Adeline's disappearance, assuming Red X's logic made sense. He had his suspicions for a while now, anyway... In that case, there was no way that he had killed her. Just, no way, but why would he make her 'disappear' for a lack of a better word in the first place...? The police had said that Adeline was related to Wayne and Adeline had been working on securing Wayne Enterprises as well as taking care of... Red X's eyes widened. No way... But hadn't Deathstroke always... Despite the thin possibility... Why would Deathstroke want anything to do with Wayne's kid...?

It was time to go back to the archives. He _would_ make sense of this because in no way was he just going to sit idly by without knowing just what exactly was going on. He smirked. Action, mystery, danger; he was beginning to like Gotham.

-T-

The feeling of soft sheets met her fingers as she twisted her head from side to side, eventually grabbing the sheets in her fists in an attempt to get a grip on her surroundings. Though she really couldn't do that if unless she opened her eyes, now could she? Starfire wearily managed to bring open her eyes to meet the bright white light in the room. Slowly, they adjusted and she found herself in a room with the walls made out white crystal. Even the bed, all crystal. The red, blue, yellow and white sheets were the only things that held any color. She sat up and held her head. Where was she?

Starfire pulled the sheets aside and instantly felt a chill in the air. She hovered over to a hook where a blue robe hung and draped it over herself; it was cold... She glided over to the door and twisted the knob. Hopefully there would be allies nearby... A few hallways down, Superman stood in the main hall talking to Ollie over the JLA com-link.

"Sorry, Supes, but I really got nothing on this Grant guy. Born and bred Army man, though his income seems to be a bit above average, but then again, he was in a special unit division. The only thing that I could find that was a bit weird was that he randomly changed his name at some point. It was originally Slade or something..." Green Arrow informed him and then upon seeing his comrade's disheartened face, added again, "Sorry, man. Don't worry though, we'll all figure this out."

"It's all right," Superman told him, "Thanks again, Ollie."

"No prob, and hey how's the Tamaranian holding up? I heard about what happened in Metropolis," Green Arrow asked.

"She seems to be recovering well, she's strong," Superman told him, "I better go check on her, see if she woke up or not."

"All right, Ollie out," Green Arrow said and the line disconnected.

Superman grimaced. Another dead end... well, there would always be another lead... at least, he hoped... He turned at the sound of the door opening to reveal a confused Starfire, but upon seeing him, she relaxed. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran," He said, bowing slightly, "On behalf of my people of Krypton, I welcome you to the Fortress of Solitude. Are you feeling better?"

Starfire brought a hand to her chest and nodded, knowing the formalities, "Oh, yes, I thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Superman said, "You took quite a hit back in Metropolis."

Starfire smiled modestly, "Oh, no more than what could be expected..."

"Well, thank you. Luthor might have gotten away with that thing otherwise," He told her gesturing to a table for them to sit at.

"Luthor?" Starfire asked.

Superman grabbed a newspaper from the table and handed it to her. The title read "LUTHOR CAUGHT!" below the Daily Planet's logo. The article was by a woman named Lois Lane. She scanned the article that went on about not only her defeating the machine in Metropolis, but also businessman Lex Luthor's part behind the contraption and his probable reasons for creating it.

"So... it was Luthor who had that machine built?" Starfire asked.

"Apparently. Doesn't surprise me though," Superman told her, "We've thought for weeks that something might be up with him."

"He must have been the one to steal Cyborg's technology designs!" Starfire stated, "They were stolen a while ago!"

Superman nodded, "It looked familiar now that you mention it... What I don't get was how he got his hands on Kryptonite."

"Your weakness?" Starfire asked.

"Yes and an irritating one at that," Superman told her as she nodded and held her hands, "But something tells me that you were not just in the neighborhood..."

Starfire shook her head, "I... I was originally going to go to Gotham. To see if I could... find Robin, convince him to come home..."

"You're not the only one worried about him," Superman said gently.

"Then why is no one doing anything?" Starfire asked, standing up, "I cannot ask my friends for they are part of it and I do not want them to take offense, but I do not see the point in just waiting! Why... why are humans like this...?"

She sat down and held her head in her hands, "I do not understand..."

Superman watched as Starfire brought her hands down and hugged herself, "May I offer a possible explanation?' he said.

Starfire looked up and he continued, "They're all just as worried, but humans especially, they look to those who have many qualities that they admire for leadership and guidance... I guess that's why Superheroes provide such a … beacon of hope, as Wonder Woman would say. Perhaps your team, and my own, are just at a loss without their leaders."

"But are you not the leader of the League of Justice?" Starfire asked.

Superman shook his head, "Batman was the real head. He led us in almost everything. Not everything is about having superpowers."

Starfire smiled, "I know. Robin... he would prove so capable that we almost forgot that... I would sometimes forget that he was human... But what do we do now? We do not have our leaders, so do our teams remain lost?"

The Man of Steel stood up and leaned against the chair, thinking, "No. I will not let that happen to the JLA and I don't think you will let that happen to the Titans."

"Huh?" she asked.

"You were originally going to Gotham to find Robin, right?" Superman asked, "I think you're right. He needs to be with you and the Titans. It's not good for him to stay in Gotham."

"But I do not know where to find him," Starfire said, "I only know that his new guardian's name is Grant Wilson..."

"Have the Titans and JLA compared notes at all?" Superman asked out of the blue.

Starfire thought, "I do not think so, if you are inquiring about Robin's current situation."

"So, do you have a way of knowing if your team would have anything on Mr. Wilson?" Superman asked.

Starfire flipped out her communicator and typed in the search bar 'Grant Wilson'. After loading she looked up and shook her head, "We have nothing on such a man... Why do you ask?"

Superman shook his head, "I went over to meet him the other day and... well, I don't think that he liked me very much. I can't say I got good vibes from him either and I think that aside from Robin's own preference to stay in Gotham for his mentor's work's sake, convincing Mr. Wilson to let Robin move back to the west coast would be our greatest challenge in getting him back with you and the others."

"Oh..." Starfire stated, "I... I have not met his new guardian. Do you have any other reason though to suspect that he would create that kind of block the road?"

"I had Green Arrow look into the guy's background," Superman told her, "He's an Army man, once he was in a special units group, but other than that, nothing. The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was that he randomly decided to change his name to Grant from Slade."

Starfire felt her stomach drop and her heart pounding in her ears, "Sl... Slade?"

Her heart began to race as Superman answered, "Yeah... why?"

"It is Slade!" Starfire exclaimed standing up.

"Who?" Superman turned.

"Slade! He is... Robin is in danger! We must get to him before it is too late!" She yelled floating into the air, leaving the robe behind.

"Wait, wait, who's Slade?" Superman flew up as well, "Come on, the exit's this way..."

"Slade is the one criminal in Jump City that has caused the Titans the most trouble," Starfire explained.

They entered the arctic air and both shot straight for the east, "So how bad is this guy?"

Starfire bit her lip, "He... at one point, he took a particular interest in Robin and forced him to be his apprentice. It would... this is all starting to make sense. He wanted to become the legal guardian of Robin."

"And to do that, he figured out who he was and got Batman killed off, all without raising suspicion by killing multiple people in order to make it appear random," Superman finished, "We're not taking any chances. I'm calling Wonder Woman. Call the Titans, and tell them to meet us in Gotham."

Superman took out his own com-link. On the beach of Themyscira, Diana was sparring with Artemis. Putting the match on hold, she pulled out the com-link.

"What's up Superman?" she asked quickly.

"I need you to get down to Gotham right away," Superman told her.

"What?" She propped her staff into the sand, "Why?"

"Because, I've just spoken to one of the Teen Titans and we have reason to believe that Robin is under the guardianship of a psychopath."

-T-

Robin stumbled into his room. His legs felt weak and he could feel his arms shaking as he propped himself up on his dresser. Looking into the mirror, he could tell his vision was blurred. He had managed to appear presentable up till when he had been dismissed after they had gotten back to the Estate from hunting. However, once he had gotten out of Slade's sight, he started to feel sick. He rested his head on the dresser.

What was wrong with him?

He took in a few quick breaths while the cold wood of the dresser cooled his forehead. _'Come on, come on, you're okay...'_ He thought to himself. As soon as he felt that he could stand up straight again, if but a little dazed, he brought his head up, but his arms instantly felt weak and gave out. His legs fell with them and he landed in a heap on the floor. He continued to shake and twitch, unsure of what was causing him to do so...

Slade said that it had been okay. His master had said that it had been all right... He held his head. How could he have been so stupid? It's just pulling a trigger... What kept him? Why couldn't he? Was he weak? A disappointment? Yes... he must have disappointed his master, but how? How could he have allowed himself to do such a thing?

But... wasn't it wrong?

Robin rolled over on the floor, shutting his eyes tightly. He couldn't think straight. One side of him told him what was obvious. Follow his master. That was his role, his obligation for everything that Slade had ever done for him. The other side kept nagging at him. It was almost a different side of logic. Something... suppressed...? But why would he have ever suppressed anything... He felt like screaming.

He tried to find the ground and get over to his bed, but his sense of balance was somehow compromised, and he felt himself land face first on the floor, though it felt like a wall... He heard something, someone knocking...

"Robin?" Slade let himself in.

The light revealed his apprentice lying on the ground almost oblivious to his surroundings, "Robin?"

He couldn't think straight....

Slade knelt down and took Robin's shoulder's as the teen continued to hold his head in agony, "Look at me."

Robin only continued to shake. Slade repressed the instinct to be surprised and instead did what he could do calm Robin down. He noticed a cold sweat on Robin's brow and held him around the chest to repress the shaking.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Slade asked in his ear.

The words were gargled in his ear. Robin tried to regain an understanding of his surroundings. Where was he? What was going on? He could feel someone holding onto him... Slade? But he had disappointed him... failed him...? But Slade was there to make sure he was okay, so how could he think that Slade hated him? Slowly, Robin began pull himself back. He still felt conflicting premonitions about the earlier incident, but at least... at least he wasn't in trouble...

Slade felt Robin's breathing relax and decided to speak again, "Are you all right?"

Robin slowly nodded, now able to hear again, though still slightly dazed, "Yeah... I... I'm alright..."

"Can you stand up?"

"... think so..." Robin did so and leaned again on his dresser.

Slade got to his feet as well and watched, hoping... Robin's lips were pressed tightly together and he seemed unsure of himself... Robin turned to look him in the eye and Slade found himself feeling slightly... caught off guard, because the boy in front of him was most certainly confused at the sight of him.

"I'm... sorry... Master, for my collapse..." Robin managed, biting his lip at the end.

Slade nodded, "It's fine, but get some rest, you probably just strained yourself too much today."

Robin nodded and walked over to the bed and Slade left the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the door close and Robin pulling back the sheets. Everything today. Everything, as perfect as it was, he should have known that it was too good. He went into main room and slammed the doors open, furious. Robin hadn't been holding back while racing. Even before this whole thing began, they had been evenly matched for the most part in racing through various obstacle courses. No, what Slade had noticed was Robin's lack of style, his lack of enthusiasm. He raced because he had been told to, with no thoughts outside of how to complete the task at hand.

And thus Robin hadn't collapsed in his room due to overworking himself. He had collapsed because of something else and Slade was willing to bet that it had to do with an inner turmoil. The brain never really forgets anything, only represses, and yet one's entire body is wired to obey the brain. Obey... There's only so much one can take and apparently, somewhere in there, perhaps Batman's influence wasn't out of the boy's mind. Slade let out a low growl and slammed his fists into the dining room table. He heard someone behind him chuckle.

"You seem mad, Slade," Adeline said, a small smile on her face.

Slade turned to see her, the mask showing no emotion. But Adeline knew. She knew by his stance.

Slade laughed and regained his cool, "Frustrated, is all."

"Oh?" Adeline asked, "Why? Problems... with Robin?"

Slade's eye narrowed as Adeline walked up to him and continued, "What's the problem? He not turning out as you had hoped?"

"Is that the best you could come up with Adeline?" Slade asked in response, "I've only just begun."

"Oh..." Adeline said as Slade walked past her towards the exit, "Like Batman did seven years ago?"

Slade paused momentarily and turned to her, "As if Batman could ever stop me."

With that he left for his own study, leaving Adeline by herself. At least it wasn't a total loss, talking to him. After all, by saying that Batman couldn't stop him, Slade admitted that Batman was still a factor. She smiled. Interesting.

Very interesting.

-T-

**A/N:** All right, so who's got a big smile on their face like I do now? The action is rising, people are figuring things out.... Yep, it's all good here. :-) Now only if we could speed up time a bit and get summer to get here a little sooner. If anyone knows the secret to that, could you let me know? OK, enough with the bad jokes. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner next time. Oh, before I end this though, I just want to put this out there: Don't hunt female deer. It's illegal in a lot of places… Alright I'm done. Thanks again for reading and keep rocking the world! Later!

~Rena


	36. Chapter 36: Waking Up

**Disclaimer:** Um, despite the fact that I have written fan fics for Teen Titans, it doesn't mean that I actually own them.

**Author's Note:** Wow, I'm writing this surprisingly quickly. Maybe I'm just nervous... One thing that I do want to point out though, I think some people misunderstood the previous chapter. Bruce wasn't there. It was a 'mental presence', not physical. Sorry for the mix up. By the way, those of you who are wondering if this will ever end: it will. I still can't believe what a story this has become. Love it to death, though. Anyway, here's the next chapter and early, too! Hope you enjoy it! "Chapter Thirty-Six: Waking Up"!

-T-

**Custody:**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Waking Up**

Diana flew her invisible jet across the ocean, the water appearing to part for no reason. Gotham City was within five minutes. Time seemed to slow down. She was gripping the wheel tightly, despite realizing that it wasn't doing her any good. She let out a breath that she had been holding. Superman had called her twenty minutes ago and told her to meet him in Gotham with the intention of finding Robin and bringing him home to Jump. Apparently, he might be under the guardianship of a villain named 'Slade' who had come into conflict with the Teen Titans from time to time.

Even though she wasn't entirely convinced, she agreed to come. But just because she wasn't entirely convinced, it didn't mean that she was worried. Men could be extremely deceitful when they wanted to be. Like Ares or Zeus... And the name change circumstances led her to believe that this wasn't likely to occur by random chance. Something was wrong... She saw Gotham over the horizon. Finally.

Speeding ahead, she radioed in to the local Airport. Despite Bruce's death, she knew that the likelihood of her _safely_ landing the invisible jet at Wayne Manor was highly unlikely. Plus, at least on the runway at the airport, her jet would be protected by her diplomatic status.

"This is Diana Prince, requesting permission to land," she called in to the local airport control.

"Diana Prince you are clear to land... we think..." the airport traffic controller replied.

"Thank you," Wonder Woman called and landed her jet, parking it off to the side and out of the way.

As she exited the jet, apparently appearing out of nowhere, she took to the sky to meet Superman downtown. On the north end of Gotham, Superman and Starfire found themselves entering the city that was just slipping beneath the blanket of night sky. Starfire found herself willing to speed ahead, though she didn't know exactly where to go. She wished that Superman would hurry on ahead. She could keep up...

"Are you alright?" Superman asked.

Starfire shook her head, "I am dreadfully worried. You do not know how far Slade will push the Titans to our limits, especially Robin..."

"I take it he is Robin's 'arch-enemy'?" Superman asked.

"I..." Starfire paused before nodding, "Yes..."

They flew in silence for a moment before Superman spoke again, "Don't worry. We'll get him out of there, if it is him.... What does Slade look like?"

"He is always wearing a mask, so none of the Titans know how he actually appears without one," She stated, "But he only has one eye..."

"That's odd," Superman stated, "Wilson had two eyes.... Maybe Slade is blind in one eye, so he just covers the other one."

Starfire shrugged when she saw someone else appearing to meet them in the sky, "Wonder Woman?"

Superman looked ahead and the three of them stood in the sky, "How was the ride?"

"Choppy," she said bitterly, "Starfire, right?"

"Oh, yes," Starfire stated, "It is nice to meet you."

Wonder Woman smiled at her and nodded, "I understand that you think Robin might be in trouble."

"Yeah, I wanted back up just in case," Superman told her, "We're going to Wilson's house. If they're there, then we'll see if we can handle this without causing an uproar..."

"Meaning?" Wonder Woman asked, not convinced.

"Meaning we try to talk to Robin and Wilson and at the same time try to gather evidence against or in defense of Wilson," Superman stated.

"Some plan," Wonder Woman remarked.

"It's more likely that they're not there," Superman said.

"In which case, I'm going to rip the handle off of the door and we'll let ourselves in," Wonder Woman remarked sarcastically.

Starfire looked between the two, worried, as Wonder Woman didn't seem to be buying the plan. Finally Superman nodded to end the silence, "Let's go."

The three shot straight for uptown Gotham. Below, most of the streets were empty, a surprise in some ways. They landed on the street in front of Wilson's townhouse. The lights were off and it didn't appear that anyone was home. Superman X-Ray-ed the place.

"No one's home," he said.

"Then let's let ourselves in," Wonder Woman said.

"Just don't break anything," Superman begged.

Wonder Woman rolled her eyes. They walked up to the door and Wonder Woman jiggled the door handle, only to break it. Superman gave her a look that said 'I just told you not to break anything'. In response, she kicked the door down.

"Diana!" he yelled.

"Oh give me a break," she said, "You don't do this when it's Luthor and if Dick's in trouble..."

Starfire passed them and called into the house, "Robin! Robin! Dick! Are you here?"

She flew upstairs. Superman and Wonder Woman watched her fly up before nodding at each other and going separate ways throughout the house. On the top floor, Starfire noticed the first door open and peaked inside. Instantly she recognized Robin's laptop on the messy bed along with a few birdarangs falling out of place from a duffel bag. Something was wrong. Robin would never be so careless... unless he was in a hurry. She felt her stomach drop. _'Robin...'_ She thought. Starfire got up from the floor and left the room. Superman met her at the top of the stairs.

"You find anything?" he asked.

Starfire nodded, "Robin... He was in a hurry when they left. His equipment is on the floor in plain sight. He would not do that unless..."

She stopped and Superman glanced inside with his X-Ray vision, "Makes sense... We have to figure out where they went, though."

Starfire nodded before continuing down the hallway to the second room. This one was bigger. The master bedroom. She glided inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but it was unsettling all the same. Then she noticed the door to the bathroom. She let herself in and saw that the bulbs had burned out a while ago. It was dark and there were no windows. She began to light a starbolt in her hand when she knocked her arm against the side of the sink.

Starfire pulled back her arm, massaging what felt like a bruise. Thankfully, she was more resiliant than a human being. But that was when she heard something fall to the floor as well. It hit her foot. Glancing down, she picked up the round object only to find a glass eye staring back at her. She gasped and dropped the eye to the floor again.

"What is it?" Superman asked.

"He was using a fake eye..." Starfire called, "It is him."

She flew out to the hallway, "We must find Robin. He is in danger, he is..."

Superman nodded and pulled out his com-link to the watchtower, "Green Arrow? Martian Manhunter?"

"Superman, what is it?" Martian Manhunter asked, "You sound distressed."

"Is Green Arrow up there?" Superman asked back.

"I'm here," Green Arrow answered, through what seemed like a mouth full of chips, "What's up Supes?"

"Remember that Wilson guy I had you look up? Do you have a list of places that guy owns or has lived at?" Superman questioned.

"Man, that's a lot of places," Ollie said, "He was in the Army, remember?"

"Then currently," Superman clarified.

"I'm on it," Green Arrow said, pushing himself over on the rolling chair to the first available computer.

"What's the urgency?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"I spoke to Starfire of the Teen Titans and we think that Mr. Wilson might be a criminal named Slade," Superman told them.

"Wow, you are always right about people, aren't you?" Green Arrow called from across the room.

Wonder Woman came up the stairs, holding a mask in her hand, "Is this what Slade looks like?"

Starfire nodded upon seeing the mask and Superman rubbed his temple, "I wish I wasn't always… Arrow... Look, can you contact Mr. Pennyworth and get him to fill out whatever legal documents he'll need to get Dick back into custody of whoever is safest?"

"Of course," Martian Manhunter asked, "Will you be needing any back up?"

"I've got Wonder Woman and Starfire here, I think we'll be alright," Superman told him.

"Very well, but if you need us, call," Martian Manhunter told him.

"Got it!" Green Arrow called, "He's got, go figure, seven places. Geez, why didn't I make the connection before?"

"Probably because you're you," Wonder Woman remarked sarcastically.

Green Arrow attempted to not take the insult to heart, "Well, missy miss, Wilson has five places or so, pricey too, not too far from Gotham. Actually, they might even be in it, don't know where the boundaries end... I'll send you the addresses and a homing signal. Good luck!"

"Will do," Superman said, "Let's go."

Starfire and Wonder Woman nodded, all three flying out of the house and off towards the direction presented to them on the com link. The downside to their rather quick departure was that none of them noticed that there had been a security system installed in the townhouse.

Back up in the Watchtower, Ollie and J'onn preceded to follow orders. Ollie started scanning the phone listings for Batman's contacts while J'onn began to search Gotham's database for the appropriate documentations needed to get Dick back into the custody of...

"Found him! Think he's still up at this hour? I mean, he's kinda gaining years isn't he?" Ollie called.

"Try him anyway," J'onn told him, "Thankfully with evidence against Wilson it's possible to attain custody of Grayson. Otherwise this wouldn't be an option..."

"I figured," Ollie said, waiting while the phone rang.

Down at Gotham's Central Library, Leslie and Alfred sat over various books searching for something that could help them. They had been coming several nights a week hoping to find a loophole or something that could help them make sense of Bruce's will. So far, they had come up with a massive amount of documentation regarding the Waynes. It wasn't surprising, though, considering the Waynes' legacy in Gotham. That, however, had led them to sifting through piles of information night after night until they were kicked out when the library closed.

"Alfred," Leslie said.

"Huh?" Alfred asked, half-asleep.

"Your phone is vibrating," She said.

"Oh," Alfred said, picking up the cell phone that he had silenced upon entering the library, "Hello?"

"Mr. Pennyworth?"

"Yes, who is this?" Alfred asked.

"It's Oliver Queen calling, aka the big G.A.," Ollie said, talking a bit too casually for the former butler's liking.

"Uh, may I ask why you are calling Mr. Queen?" Alfred inquired.

"Alright, Mr. Pennyworth, you're probably closest to Dick Grayson, right?" he asked.

"I... in what way?" Alfred asked.

"Well, look, we think Dick might be in a situation where he will need to be placed in another's custody very soon and we don't want him going to a foster home," Ollie began explaining.

"Wait, why?" Leslie asked, as she had been listening in.

"To make a long story short, Dick might be in the custody of one of those big... bad... super-villains," Ollie slowed as he saw J'onn giving him a look that said 'be at least a little gentle'.

"What?" Alfred asked.

"Yeah, so look, can we send over a few legal papers for you to fill out and have ready... like, yeah?" Ollie asked.

"Yes, yes of course," Alfred said, "I'll pick them up from Wayne Manor right away."

"Alright, thanks Mr. Pennyworth! G.A. out," with that Ollie hung up and J'onn sent the documents to the manor. It took twice as long as normal, though with everything being sent, it wasn't a surprise to him.

Alfred closed the phone and looked over at Leslie, "I best to get there as soon as possible."

"I'm coming with you, who knows how much paperwork they're sending you," Leslie stated.

They rushed out of the library before it was closing time for the first time in a long while. Their resources were still strewn across the tables as they had left them. The pages ruffled in the wind from the window opened above them. The sound of footsteps that started from the window and began making their way over to the shelf stopped. The guest looked at the open pages. Maybe this would be of some use...

-T-

Adeline's heals clicked down the oak floors of the hallway. She had already had dinner (for once, alone) for the night, but her stomach wouldn't settle. So to pull herself out of the slump, she had decided to walk to the kitchen and have a bowl of ice cream. At least the brain freeze would distract her from her constant impatience. She opened the fridge to find her favorite flavor on the side of the door. Peanut butter cup and chocolate. She rolled her eyes. Of course he'd have it. She had been the only one to actually like it, after all.

She grabbed the container and pulled a spoon and bowl from the cabinets. She served herself a scoop and slowly dug her way into it. She let the peanut butter stick to the roof of her mouth while she slowly paced around the room. She spooned a bit of ice cream into her mouth again when the door opened, revealing the other three residents of the estate.

"Wintergreen, could you prepare a light dinner for tonight?" Slade asked.

Wintergreen nodded and began to work in the kitchen. The other three, Adeline included, left for the dining room.

"Robin," Slade said and the boy looked up, "Go ahead and change, you worked hard tonight."

Robin nodded and left without a word. After his collapse around noon that day, he slept a little bit before getting up and going with Slade in the gym to develop some sparring techniques. It was only now that they had finished. As Robin left the room, Adeline turned her attention back to her ice cream, finishing it a bit... quicker than she normally would. Brain freeze plagued her for a moment before she set the bowl on the counter window that led to the kitchen.

"Your favorite?" Slade asked.

Adeline cast a glance towards him, "Sure. Why not?"

With that, she left the room. But after the door closed, she stayed in the hall and waited. She didn't have to wait long. Robin rounded the corner within minutes. He stalled upon seeing her.

"Ms. Kane?" he asked.

The slight indifference in his voice bothered her slightly. She wished he had said her name a bit more venomously, especially after... what he had seen the other day.

"Robin," she said, walking up to him, not knowing where to begin, "What... what happened in there? The other day? What did he say to you?"

Robin's mouth was left ajar as he stuttered, "I... what... what are you referring..."

"You do remember don't you?" Adeline asked him, "That fight in the main room the other night?"

"Yes," Robin replied, "I... I remember it."

"What did he say to you?" Adeline asked again.

Robin merely shrugged, wordless, though it was apparent that he was trying to respond. "He... Master said a lot of things..."

"Master?" Adeline repeated, "Why... why would you call him that?"

Robin looked at her in shock and confusion, "Because... because that's... that's what he is..."

Adeline's mouth fell, "Robin, Dick, why, how could... What about Bruce? What about Batman? How could you say that after everything that he did for you?"

"Bruce..." Robin repeated, he brought a hand up to his head.

That's when Adeline realized what had happened. In instances or moments in which a life is threatened, often to comply with demands that might seem unethical or inhumane, a person will suppress such urges for justice. Though she couldn't fathom Slade actually threatening Robin's life, all things considered, she could see Robin seeing Slade as doing such. And if something, an urge, so to speak, was repressed... it had to come from his memories of Bruce.

"Yes, Bruce," Adeline repeated, "I don't know what Slade said to you, but Robin... you've got to believe me, you're more than him."

Robin watched her, as though standing on shaky ground, "him?"

"Slade. You're so much more than him. Batman would agree with me and he'd hate to see you in a situation like this," Adeline said, "You have no... I remember emails from Bruce where he'd praise you. They were quiet and subtle, but knowing him, I knew he was proud of you and cared about you."

Robin felt flashes of his memories enter his mind. Slowly, some were fuzzy, but they were coming back...

"Don't, don't throw your life away," Adeline said to him, "You really... you can beat him."

She looked him in the face, his mask revealing little to her. But what more could she say? She brought a hand up to her face as she took a step back.

"Just, think, think about what I said," she told him, before letting him go and walked in the opposite direction down the hall.

Robin watched her disappear around the corner. He looked at the floor in silence. Batman... Bruce... He started walking again.

_'You're more than him.'_

Her words echoed in his mind, relentless, unshakable... Somehow, he felt something that he dared not say. Maybe... could she be...

Right?

-T-

Inside the G.C.P.D. Gordon felt his eyes begin to drop. Despite what Barbara told him, the fact was that the long nights were getting to him. He opened the door of his office to see Sawyer, Bullock, and Yin outside. Sawyer and Bullock stopped arguing when they saw him.

"Heading out, Commissioner?" Yin asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Gordon said, "Goodness knows, I'll collapse if I keep working in the office."

Bullock laughed and Yin and Sawyer smiled. Then the sound of the fax machine from Gordon's office alerted them. Gordon rolled his eyes.

"Of course," he said.

He put his bag to the side and went to read the fax. It suddenly got quiet. Gordon felt his stomach drop and his eyes began to grow.

"Commissioner?" Bullock asked.

Gordon turned around, "Sawyer, get me seven cars of men and the S.W.A.T. team."

"What's up?" She asked.

"I think we just found our serial killer," Gordon said, "It's Wilson."

"Wilson?" Yin asked, "As in, Dick Grayson's guardian Wilson?"

Gordon nodded, "Here's the address, it's on the outskirts of the city, off the islands. Let's move."

The four dispersed and proceeded to cars and to call those that they needed. Gordon got in his car with Yin and gripped the steering wheel as he turned on the car. Heading straight for the raised highways, Gordon surpassed the speed limit, following the quickest route.

This was so bad.

-T-

Inside the main room, Slade finished another email, satisfied. It was always good to keep up with others in his field. Robin sat at the dinner table, waiting without a word. Wintergreen opened the door and Slade thanked him, though he continued to work at the laptop.

Robin thanked Wintergreen as well, though he had somehow... lost his appetite... He kept thinking about Ms. Kane and what she had said. Bit by bit, things were coming back. Things that he hadn't thought about, no maybe, refused to think about, were coming to light. This, what he was doing and what was happening to him, it was wrong. He shouldn't be Slade's apprentice because... he didn't want to be. It was wrong. He knew it was.

He stopped moving his fork around his dish. New emotions suddenly burst into his system. He was suddenly very angry. Somewhat with himself, but mostly at Slade. What kind of sick... He started to cut his food with a knife. He knew that Slade was right behind him to the side. And he still thought that...

"Robin?" Slade asked.

_'Fake it,'_ He told himself, "Yes?"

"Something wrong?" He asked, "You're not eating."

"Hm?" Robin turned to his dish and realized the same thing, "Oh, sorry."

"Don't be, but you should get some food in you, after what happened this afternoon," Slade told him, returning to take into inventory of the new supplies that he had stored in the basement.

Beneath the mask, Robin rolled his eyes. Yeah, sure. Whatever. Like Slade cared.

He took a few bites before returning to his previous thought process. Why should he be here? Why? He should get out of here. Do something.... He was so angry and so humiliated. He wanted to pick a fight.

And hey, why not?

It's not like he had anything to lose.

"Is that all you care about?" Robin asked bitterly.

Slade froze. The tone and words that had come from Robin's mouth automatically alerted him to a rebellious spirit in the teen.

"What makes you say that?" Slade asked calmly, as though not hearing anything.

Robin stood up, "Well, I'm just a robot or something to you, right? All you care about is if I can do a job. You don't care about my morale, that's for sure, otherwise you wouldn't be training me for this sort of work."

Slade walked over to him, standing a good foot taller than the teen.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Robin asked.

Slade's eye narrowed and Robin took his chance. He thrust the knife forward, but Slade caught him before he could ever tear the skin and sent Robin flying across the table. Before Robin could move, Slade held his wrists behind him.

"Now what was that for, Robin?" he asked.

Robin twisted his arms and pulled free of Slade's grasp. Immediately he dropped to the floor and rolled out to the other side of the table. Slade watched as Robin rose to fight. Despite himself, he smiled, the thrill back. He could see the spirit in Robin's face. He didn't even need to see his eyes.

"I don't know, why did you kill that deer? Why did you kill Bruce?" Robin asked back.

Slade laughed, "I'm not sure if I should be happy about your enthusiasm or not."

Robin growled and lunged forward to kick Slade in the chest, but he was once again thrown across the room, to the windows this time. Instantly, the teen got up in a crouched stance, ready to dodge if necessary.

"Logically," Slade continued, "I shouldn't because you're defying me."

He moved forward and landed a good punch to Robin's gut. Robin landed on the floor, but rolled away and flipped up, standing right behind Slade, prompting a fist fight.

"However, your focus and drive," Slade said as he dodged and redirected Robin's attacks, "impress me."

He caught hold of Robin's hand and his arm, locking him out of an easy attack. But then again, Robin knew life was never easy. He elbowed Slade in the ribs and kicked at his feet. However, instead of the older fighter falling alone, they both fell. Robin shook his head when he felt a hand gripping the back of his shirt. Slade wasn't letting him out of this one. Then something buzzed on his belt...

Out of the corner of Robin's eye, he saw something glint in the room's lighting. He reached and grabbed hold. No longer resisting, he let Slade drag him back only to use it so that he had a knee on top of his opponent's chest. He held Slade's left arm down as well. The knife that he had been using earlier and had been thrown across the room in the midst of the fight was in his hand, which he held above Slade, ready to plunge into skin at a moment's notice. Robin's face contorted, anger fueling him, but for once, he was thinking of how to win; how to beat Slade. It was the only way out...

But to his surprise, Slade chuckled, "You're darker than I thought, Robin."

Robin looked at him, confused and then he saw Slade eying the knife as he continued, "Are you really going to kill me?"

Robin looked at the knife and suddenly realized what he was doing. He dropped the knife and it clattered to the wood floor. Slade took the opportunity to push Robin off and stand up above him. Robin slowly stood up, edging away from the knife when he felt a harsh slap to the face.

"Don't you dare do that again," Slade told him harshly.

The teen felt another hard slap to the face. His moment of shock gone and now worry came into play. Such a great plan. Suddenly, he remembered why he didn't go picking fights often, especially with Slade since they nearly always ended badly. Slade grabbed him by the front of the shirt.

"You know better than that," Slade whispered, "Or do I have to remind you what happens when you defy me?"

Robin's eyes widened and he attempted to get out of Slade's grasp. This was bad. Outside of the Estate, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Starfire landed outside hidden in the woods. This was the fourth residence that they were checking. Luck was not on their side that night, it seemed.

"Anyone in there?" Wonder Woman asked, "At least the lights are on this time."

Superman X-Ray-ed the place and instantly found the fight unraveling in the main room, "It's Robin, he's in there!"

"What?" Starfire asked, "Is he..."

Superman's face turned to shock and Starfire got her answer, "Robin...."

"Come on, let's go," Wonder Woman said, "there's no time to waste!"

Superman nodded and the three flew up into the sky to enter through the roof. Inside, Slade felt an alarm buzz in his belt and looked up just as half the ceiling came down. Robin covered his face and as the dust settled, he saw two green orbs penetrate the smoke.

"Starfire?" he asked, incredulous.

Three figures emerged and Robin felt his heart lift for the first time in ages, "Superman? Wonder Woman?"

Superman spoke first, "We're here for Robin."

Slade's eye narrowed, "I figured."

Suddenly Robin felt himself being pulled back and held by Slade. He struggled, but this time, Slade knew that they were in the middle of combat and wasn't holding back in the slightest.

"Robin!" Starfire yelled.

"Starfire--" he started, but was cut off.

"I don't see any reason for me to comply, though," Slade told them, "You see... I've been searching for years, for the perfect apprentice. And since then, Robin's been the only one to meet all of the credentials. He is both physically capable...

He gestured to Robin. Their attention centered on Robin's form and toned muscle. The three heroes felt their stomach drop and Robin shivered.

He grimaced as he felt Slade grab his chin, "And mentally ready, for such training."

Superman growled, "You twisted..."

"I'm only doing the same thing Batman did," Slade commented, his voice clearly unconcerned.

"How dare you," Wonder Woman said, "Batman never..."

"Took a boy in solely for the purpose of training him to fight?" Slade said, "Stop before you embarrass yourself."

"Let him go!" Starfire yelled, "We out number you and are not afraid to fight you..."

Slade eyed her, "The only Titan present, why am I not surprised?"

Robin watched, desperate to free himself. Slade smiled beneath the mask, "I suppose I understand your concern."

Robin suddenly thought of Ms, Kane. Where was she? On the opposite side of the estate, Adeline had heard the sound of the roof collapsing, but wasn't sure what the sound was. It had disturbed her slightly, but she hadn't paid any heed to it until she saw a cloud of dust outside of the window. What was going on? She left and began running down to the main room. She turned a corner when she heard her name.

"Adeline."

"Who..." She started, but was cut off.

"It's time to go."

She eyed the figure slightly, but nodded and followed them as they led the way. It wasn't Slade, so how much did she have to lose? Back in the main room, the three heroes stood across from Slade, having made no sudden movements to start up a fight.

Finally Wonder Woman spoke, "Give it up Slade, you're outnumbered."

"Really?" Slade said, pulling something out of his belt.

It was a rock that glowed green. Wonder Woman repressed the urge to roll her eyes. Great. Just great. Why did Superman have to announce it to the whole world that his vulnerability was Kryptonite? Just why? Because Lois Lane asked him, that's why. Sheesh...

"I think it's two on two," Slade said, noticing Superman beginning to feel sick.

"Two on..." Wonder Woman started.

"Robin, take Starfire," Slade whispered.

"No!" Robin yelled.

"Do it or I kill your other loved ones," Slade told him.

"Leave him out it!" Wonder Woman demanded.

Superman held his head, the loud shouting beginning to give him a headache. He could hear sirens from far away and there was also this annoying beeping sound that was increasing in speed coming from... below? He used his X-Ray vision and searched below only to find explosives. There was no time left.

_'Oh no.'_ He thought.

**_BOOM!!!_**

They all went flying as the blast erupted and destroyed the house. Slade lost his grasp on Robin and they went into different directions. He screamed briefly before hitting the hard wet ground and rolling until he hit the side of a tree. The force of impact made him dizzy, though he could see red and blue lights to his right and could hear the crackling of burning wood. The others they had... to be okay... He lifted his arm, but found no energy left in him. No... His hand dropped and the teen wonder lost consciousness as the estate blazed and burned.

**End Of Part Five**

-T-

**A/N:** How was it? Please Review! I felt like there was a lot of talking, but go figure, things have to be explained sometimes. ;-D I guess I make up for it with giving Robin his fighting spirit back. But yeah. Loving life as always. Hope every one's doing well and rocking the world! Later!

~Rena


	37. Chapter 37: Reaching For Safety Pt 6

**Disclaimer:** Okay, so maybe if I write DC Comics and tell them how much adore their characters, they'll be so happy that they'll send me back the ownership rights. Okay, maybe not. So yeah, I don't own Teen Titans or any DC Comics characters. Bummer.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I know it's been ages since I've updated, but I was gearing up for the convention mania of summer. Also, I now have a link to my new DeviantArt account on my homepage; feel free to check it out! Got some cool stuff for the Teen Titans and Slade up there too. :-) Anyway, yeah, through all of that, I finally finished this chapter too. So let me present "Chapter Thirty-Seven: Reaching for Safety"!

-T-

**Custody:**

**Part Six: Family**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Reaching for Safety**

He struggled in a thick darkness, the cold creeping and slowly attempting to latch onto his fingers and around his neck. His face stung as though he had been slapped. In flashes that came and went, he could see a bright orange mass and glowing red dots. His ears were ringing. He squirmed against the ooze that seemed to surround him like a huge amount of cobwebs.

The light hit his eyes and he squinted. Maybe he should just let them close. He could hear blurred sounds in the background. He just wanted to sleep... Wow, he was sore. What hit him? He squinted again and saw purple and tan skin... His thoughts stopped. He turned his head upwards. A face caught his eyes, which widened as clarity came to him.

"Star...?" he began.

He saw her surprised face turn to a smiling one. He felt her hand on the top of his head and realized that he was lying on a few chairs with his head on her lap. A blanket covered him. There was a clicking sound in the background.

"Where... where am... I?" he asked.

"We are in the Department of Police of the City of Gotham," she replied, and for the first time in a long time, he smiled at her version of the English language.

"What... what happened?" he asked her this time, still tense.

"The police arrived after the explosion," Starfire explained, "The out was knocked from you, but Superman and Wonder Woman were unharmed and soon found you before the police did..."

That's when Robin noticed, the mask was gone from his face, "They, no one... knows then?"

"I do not believe so," Starfire told him, "Superman and Wonder Woman insisted on staying here until the work of paper is done."

"Then... Slade is..." Robin started.

Starfire nodded, "I searched with Wonder Woman for an hour and could not find him."

Robin nodded, but felt slightly disoriented. He decided to try and sit up, hoping that Starfire couldn't detect his apparent shaken exterior. With some help from Starfire, he managed to do so, but his head still ached. Across the room, Gordon noticed that Dick was waking up and briskly came over.

"Dick?" He asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Little dizzy... and sore... but I'm okay," Dick said, not really registering everything.

Gordon nodded in understanding, "Are you up for answering any questions?"

Dick shook his head slightly, hoping to avoid any more discomfort, "Not... not really... but I will if you need me to..."

"That's alright, we can ask you later," Gordon said, "I need to deal with the photographers and news crew, but I'll be back soon, son."

Starfire nodded for him as Dick felt that doing so himself would force him to lie back down. Photographers... How in the world? Oh, of course, it was because of Superman and Wonder Woman, wasn't it? How often do superheroes _other_ than Batman hang out at the G.C.P.D.? He then noticed that he was still wearing the torn uniform underneath the blanket. What a great front page that would be... He pulled the blanket over him more tightly. He shivered.

"Um, Dick?" Starfire said, "I called the others; they're on the roof to avoid... the photographers."

"Oh, thank you," Dick said, then let out what he hoped was a loose laugh, "I can't tell you guys how much I missed you.... Who... who are they handing me off to this time?"

"Mr. Pennyworth; he is in the other room with a Ms. Leslie talking to Mr. Bullock. Everything can go back to the normal..." Starfire answered.

Dick smiled thinking back to how things were before this whole mess and then he frowned slightly. He attempted to block out the fear that tried to arise from the back of his mind, "Well, not everything... but enough."

There was silence for a minute before he thought to speak again, "Um, Starfire? What happened to Ms. Kane?"

Starfire furrowed her brows, "Ms. Kane was in the vicinity?"

He looked at her, immediately alert. "Yes, she, yeah, she was. You didn't find her?"

Starfire shook her head no and Dick continued, "Then where..."

And yet there wasn't an answer for him to receive. She could be anywhere... Outside the offices of the G.C.P.D., news crew continued to snap away and record everything that they could while Wonder Woman and Superman stood firmly rooted in the doorway.

"At this rate," Wonder Woman stated, "He'll be here any minute to blow this place up to the watchtower."

"Wonder Woman," Superman began, "It's not my fault that a squad of police cars had the sirens wailing behind us when we got here, so if we could focus on the situation at hand..."

It was amazing how persistent these people could be. Superman recalled that there was a code of ethics that they supposedly were to follow, but it seemed that those often were lost in the heat of the moment.

"Excuse me, but if you could back up," he called, trying to create some space, "The photos that you have will not do you any good because of the windows' coatings..."

"Like that will help," Wonder Woman muttered.

"Well, if you have any... suggest...ions..." Superman stuttered to a stop.

His eyes focused on an area of the crowd where people were parting. A tall man came into view and Superman's jaw dropped. He scanned him to make sure it wasn't a trick. Wonder Woman elbowed him in the side.

"Superman, could you help me for just a moment..."

"Diana!" He shot and then eyed the newcomer.

Wonder Woman looked over instantly at the sound of her name and then felt herself freeze. The man walked up to them both, looking at them apologetically.

"May I?" he asked.

Superman nodded and looked at Wonder Woman as though asking if he could go in as well. She nodded and they both went inside. The man found Sawyer talking on the phone to the hospital.

"How much of an emergency is this, officer?" Sawyer asked, "We're kind of strained here right now."

"Ms. Sawyer, listen, Ms. Kane, she was delivered here tonight! She's in the emergency room in critical condition, but..."

The man taped Sawyer on the shoulder.

"What, what is it?" she asked, irritated and then she instantly gasped, "You... you..."

"Where's Dick?" he asked.

"A... around the corner." She knew that her eyes were twice their regular size, but at this point, she felt that she deserved some slack.

"Thank you," he said and continued.

Most in the office began to stop and look. Silence came over the room. The man rounded the corner and saw Dick sitting next to Starfire in silence. He looked worn out and tired, and for once his spiky hair was down and flat. He noticed that the two held each others' hands out of immediate sight. He paused in his footsteps and felt guilt for not... doing anything. He couldn't wait any longer. It wasn't fair or just....

He finally spoke, "Dick."

The whole room froze. Dick tensed and felt Starfire's gaze look up and over him. He heard her gasp and very slowly, he turned his head and looked up as well. His eyes, he felt were deceiving him. This couldn't... How? He stood up, confused and hesitant to believe anything. The man felt himself smile upon seeing the obvious distrust, but also the earnest hope in Dick's face, something that would never leave his personality.

The man sighed and spoke, "Alright, I always wanted a puppy when I was a kid."

The quirky secret that only they knew. Dick smiled, "Bruce."

Dick wasn't sure how, but he felt his feet move and he ran into Bruce's arms and buried his face in the man's chest. And for the first time, in a long time, Bruce returned the hug and held Dick tightly. Alfred and Leslie came out to see and Gordon watched in disbelief. The unbelievable had happened. Superman and Starfire smiled and watched the reunited father and son share a moment, a much-needed moment, in which they were only aware of one another.

Shock, regret, relief. A mixture of emotions, but neither minded. Bruce was alive. Dick was okay. That was what was important right then. That and nothing else. For an instant, Dick was free from fear. Nothing could harm him. Nothing. He felt... safe.

Finally, they parted and Dick questioned, "How... how are you?"

"Batman rescued me," he said, winking (code for 'I'll explain later'). "He kept me down in the Batcave for the last few months. Said he was tracking a lead and wanted me out of the picture for a while."

Bruce looked Dick over, "You look like a mess."

Dick laughed, and eyed Bruce's hair, which was not quite as long as it use to be, "I'm not the only one."

Bruce smiled, a rare occurrence and turned to face Gordon, "Commissioner, you look flustered."

Gordon slowly nodded, "A bit, a bit, it's uh, good to see you alive, Mr. Wayne."

"Ha, good to be alive," Bruce said.

"Yes, I, I'd think so," Gordon shook his head trying to regain a sense of normalcy, though considering everything, that didn't seem likely, "So, did I hear right? Batman kept you locked up for the past few months?"

"Well, it was fine on my part," Bruce said, making sure to keep Gordon from thinking that Batman had kidnapped him, "He finally let me out after learning about Dick's condition."

"Well, that's uh, that's good to hear. We were planning on taking him to the hospital as soon as the papers were written up..." Gordon started when Alfred and Leslie came over.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred exclaimed, astonished.

"Hi Alfred," Bruce said, "Leslie."

Leslie brought her hands to her face, "Oh, Bruce, I can't believe it!"

Bruce shrugged as she ran over and hugged him. She pulled away back to Alfred and Bruce turned to Gordon again, "Commissioner, would it be alright if I took Dick home to Wayne Manor? Leslie is a highly capable doctor and I trust her that she can take care of him better than any hospital can."

Gordon looked between the four people surrounding him. From Alfred, to Leslie, to Dick, to Bruce. He sighed, "Well, I believe legally that shouldn't be a problem. And it's up to you whether he goes to the hospital, but we will need him to come in for questioning at another time."

"We're fine with that, right Dick?" Bruce said, putting a hand lightly on Dick's shoulder, just in case there might be a bruise there. Dick nodded.

"I'd check with the capes, too," Gordon said, "They've been like hawks since the incident and frankly, it might just be best to keep him here after what happened...."

Bruce looked over at Clark, who nodded, "It's alright on our end as long as we can tag along for a bit, just for security."

"I appreciate it.... Dick, you ready to go home?" Bruce said.

Dick smiled and nodded, "Yeah."

"Alfred, would you bring the car around?" Bruce asked.

"Of course sir," Alfred said.

Starfire stood up and followed the four remaining to the front. Somehow, despite the photographers and news crew, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Starfire managed to make a path for Bruce, Dick, and Leslie, while simultaneously keeping people back. It was like they had become security against the papparazzi. Gordon already had men outside, however, keeping people back as they got to the car. The three entered while the three capes flew up into the sky. The four Titans on the roof met up with them.

"What's going on?" Cyborg asked.

"We are heading to the Manor of the Wayne's," Starfire informed them.

"So Alfred got the all clear?" Beast Boy asked, emerging from his hawk form to be caught by Starfire.

"No, Mr. Wayne did," Starfire smiled.

Raven hid her own, "I wondered why Dick suddenly felt so... positive, I guess."

Photographers snapped away, hoping for the shot that would be on tomorrow's front page. They already knew what the headlines would read. But strangely, that wasn't what made Dick feel... uncomfortable. It was being out in the open... Once they had entered the car though, Dick found himself unaware of the paparazzi and a bit more secure. Alfred drove the car like before. Leslie was in the front with him and Bruce in the back. No one asked any questions. They just let things be. Dick leaned against Bruce's arm, fatigue plaguing him. His eyes closed. Bruce watched him out of the corner of his eye.

It was... unexpected, Dick's behavior. After everything he had done... it could be deemed an incredibly self-centered action. And he should have realized what was happening sooner, but he didn't. In the past, he had realized that his work cost him relationships, friends... and yet there were always a few that stayed. How Dick managed to be one of them... he wasn't quite sure.

They arrived at Wayne Manor and Dick lifted his head up. They got out and were accompanied inside by the JLA and the Titans, all of which said something to their respective teammate from Gotham, before stopping in the main room. Bruce turned to Leslie.

"Could you take Dick up to his room and bandage him up?" Bruce asked.

"Wait a second," Diana demanded, "We deserve some explanations, Bruce. Right, Clark?"

Bruce looked over at Clark who gave a brief nod of agreement, "It would be rather nice..."

"Yeah, at least explain to us how you're not dead," Cyborg challenged.

Surprisingly enough, Bruce didn't glare down at Dick's teammate and sighed. "Very well, but considering Dick's condition, he needs to get some rest, so I'll make this short."

Despite hearing the word 'short', everyone present slouched a bit for the story. That's what explanations did sometimes...

"How, how did you live?" Dick asked, "I saw you... get shot... and then the fire..."

Bruce looked down at his ward and answered, "With some preparation and with Fox's help."

"Fox knew you were alive?" Alfred asked.

"No, he didn't, but he is responsible for how I survived the bullets," Bruce replied, "Military and police personnel already have bullet proof vests, but it's not a perfect design. It can still shatter and the shattering metal can kill for the bullet if you're really unlucky. Fox designed a light electric vest that when on, remedies this problem, using magnetics."

"Magnetics?" Diana asked.

"Essentially, it repels the bullet so that it slows down enough so that by the time it hits your chest, it doesn't have enough momentum to injure you," Bruce explained, "It does this at almost the speed of sound and starts to slow the bullets about a foot away from you. Once they hit you they're magnetically stuck to the vest. No harm done."

"But what about the blood? And I saw those things come... out... of your chest..." Dick said, resisting the urge to remember the images.

"That's the other part of the design," Bruce stated, "Fox knew that even if the design could save your heart or lungs, it couldn't save the rest of you. You can still die from a bullet in your thigh or arm and if your opponent doesn't see you bleeding, he's likely to keep shooting until he does."

"So you created... a fake out?" Raven supplemented.

"Exactly," Bruce said, "Inside the chest are compartments that release red fluid through a thin grate once the bullet is stuck to the plate. It's accurate thanks to sensors that detect the highest concentration of electrical magnetic energy. Each sensor has a corresponding side on the other side. It also releases the liquid, but in addition, it shoots out what could be mistaken as a bullet, creating the illusion that the bullet passed through the person's chest."

"And you were wearing this the whole time?" Clark asked, dumbfounded by how Bruce could call that a 'short' explanation.

"Yes, it's still too expensive for the military and... as always... I requested a personal prototype," Bruce stated.

"And you didn't get one for Robin?" Beast Boy asked.

"They take a while to make," Bruce told them, "I figured the most dangerous criminals would shoot at me to get me out of the way. If that happened, it would give Dick time to retreat. However, one was in the process of being made for you and should have been done by the end of that week."

Dick nodded, "And then the... fire?"

"Simple," Bruce said, "Vaseline. Or rather, a very dense thin concentration of Vaseline."

"Care to explain that one?" Diana asked.

"It's a little known fact that Vaseline will keep your skin from burning for one minute, two, max when next to a fire; it creates a barrier between you and the flames. I knew that we were dealing with a pyromaniac, so for a while, I'd been coating my face and hands in a very thin layer of it, just as a precaution, considering my social standing. Alfred noticed how it was affecting my skin negatively at one point, actually," Bruce summed up.

"Oh, yes, I remember that," Alfred trailed off.

"Since you didn't go to public events with me, Dick, I didn't give you any either," Bruce told him, "I used it only for work and public events...didn't save all of my hair, though."

The group glanced at his black hair which, as Dick had noted earlier, wasn't particularly straight and at some points incredibly short. It earned a few smiles before Bruce turned the conversation back to a more serious tone.

"Now, Leslie, will you take Dick up to his room and fix him up? I'll send someone up later," Bruce told her.

Dick turned to him instantly, "Wait, you still..."

"You'll get your answers, Dick," Bruce said, hoping to calm him down, "What I'd like you to do now is go up and get your rest."

The Boy Wonder glared at him for a moment, slightly agitated that he hadn't heard the whole story, but mainly it was the pit in his stomach that was bothering him. Leslie walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, dear," she said.

Finally, Dick nodded and began to walk up the steps towards his room. His room... it was... comforting, to say the least. The rest watched before Bruce immediately turned and headed for his study. The remaining heroes quickly followed.

"You think it's safe to leave him up there?" Diana asked.

"With the security system in this house, we have a few minutes of warning time before anyone can get to Dick's room," Bruce told her. "I have someone I'll send up within that amount of time."

"Who?" Beast Boy asked.

They followed Bruce down the staircase, Clark being slightly cautious after his and Diana's last visit there. The Titans' eyes scanned the place, this being their first time in the Batcave. They didn't have much time to look around, however, as footsteps alerted them to the presence of another person there.

"Well, did you get your kid back?"

All eyes turned to the newcomer who was dressed in a recognizable black skin tight cat suit. Half of those mouths dropped. The women kept their cool.

"He's upstairs. I'd like you to go up to his room and guard him for a few hours or so. I'll send someone to relieve you," Bruce said, loosening his shirt to reveal part of the Batsuit underneath.

"Fine," Catwoman said, "Have fun with the dead guy, everyone."

With that, she sulkily left leaving the JLA members and the Titans extremely shocked. Clark was the first to say anything.

"You let HER know before the rest of us that you were okay?" He asked, "Why did you even stay hidden in the first place?"

"When I became a target, I realized that these arson attacks were far from random. I started searching and found many of the victims had links to the Wayne family through financial means. Some were through charities, others contracts, but they all led to points of power in Wayne Enterprises, many of which were probably forgotten to most. Anyone who didn't have a business relation was in the way, so to speak," Bruce told them.

"So... it was about Wayne Enterprises?" Diana finished.

"Basically, that's what I originally guessed, anyway," Bruce stated. "On that lead, I figured that whoever was behind this was likely a business competitor who had been refused some sort of deal. Top of the list for that was Lex Luthor. That being said, it was to my advantage to let him think that I was dead as he'd be more likely to slip up."

"Um," Starfire started, "Excuse me for a moment, but did Luthor want something from you that would have been necessary to create that machine Superman and I fought in Metropolis?"

"That's exactly what it was," Bruce said, pulling up on the computer screens a design with the label 'Project Xenomineral', "This machine would take radioactive pieces of foreign matter and reconfigure it as solar energy. Luthor must have figured out how to instead increase the output of the mineral's energy instead of convert it to solar energy. In this case, it was kryptonite."

Clark resisted the urge to fume as Bruce finished, "I monitored who Robin's guardian was the entire time. Originally, I had planned that Alfred was to be his guardian, but when Adeline received guardianship, I wasn't too concerned, since we were cousins. I noted when his guardianship was given to Wilson as well, but I didn't see any signs of a Grant Wilson being any trouble. It wasn't until after Luthor's attacks on Metropolis that I realized that something wasn't right."

"Such as?" Beast Boy said sarcastically.

"I couldn't contact Robin when I tried to," Bruce said, pulling the mask on, "That never happens. He always has his communicator with him. I tried several times with no response. In the meantime, I searched up Wilson's history. His company records turned up fake, his name forged, and finally, Adeline's and my own will had been tampered with. When I checked those who had been killed, almost all of them had a link to my will or my parents' will regarding custody or guardianship of minors."

"Adeline's will was changed only in terms of Wilson's first name change to keep everything straight so that he could still claim custody of Dick," Batman continued, "Based on that and Adeline's disappearance, I searched for property records of Wilson's. He had more than you'd expect, to say the least. It looked like he owned a business himself."

"That's what Ollie found odd about him, too," Clark said.

"We found their location around the same time," Batman finished, "Slade had stored mass amounts of weapons below and I set a bomb up to blow it sky high. I got Adeline to safety and once you were present, I let the bomb run out of time. It wouldn't be enough to obliterate anyone, but it would provide a chance to separate everyone. I would have gone and gotten Robin, but you got there before I did. That being said, I took Adeline to the hospital and went straight for the Police Department."

"You don't mind that Slade knows you're alive now?" Raven questioned.

"No, I want him to know I don't die easily," Batman stated.

"So if I'm following you, we couldn't know you were alive because it would have given that information away then to whoever was behind the murders?" Cyborg asked.

Batman gave a brief nod.

"Oh come on!" Cyborg yelled, "This is... This is, really... I hate these ninja-like tactics!"

"Get used to it," Batman said, "I had Catwoman begin to help me a few weeks into December so that I could avoid the spotlight if I ever needed to go out."

"But the Catwoman was fine because she was on neither side?" Starfire asked.

"Yes," Batman answered.

"Do you think Slade will come after him again?" Superman asked.

"Probably, but as for when, I'm not sure," Batman stated, "I'd say sometime when Dick is still incredibly weakened."

"So... soon?" Raven filled in.

Another nod.

"I have set the estate on high alert, sir," Alfred said.

"Speaking of which," Wonder Woman interrupted, "Thanks for locking us out of the Batcave."

"You should know I have defenses like that," Batman told her, "But I do apologize, I was at another base of mine in the city, and thus those defenses were on a higher level than normal."

"Bruce," Clark said, "Please, never do that again."

"Good luck with making me do that," Batman said, and Clark could swear that if it wasn't for his demeanor, Batman would have been smiling.

-T-

The quiet monitor beeped away, telling her that her heart was still beating. In some ways, she wished that it wouldn't. Her body ached and her stomach seemed to have been lost at some point. At least the bed was soft. She was in a hospital, Gotham General Hospital to be precise... It was warm in the room, or rather, a good temperature. Not too cold, not too hot. She hoped that she could somehow just doze and slumber...

A breeze hit her face and she tightened her eyes. Did the vent just turn on? She heard footsteps, but something was wrong. There was no sign of a light being turned on. And the shoes.. had metal rims? A hand came to her face and suddenly she heard the monitor speed up a bit. Before she could open her eyes, though, she felt lips against her own. She wanted to panic, but was too tired to do so. Her eyes opened and she saw a figure, the outline was fuzzy, but she knew who it was.

He ended the kiss, "I promise, I'll fix this. I'll make up for tearing up our family. I'll give you one that you can finally have. I promise, Addie."

She wanted to tell him, 'no', but she could only groan. He moved a few strands of hair away from her face.

"Get better," Slade told her.

Adeline barely caught a glimpse of him as he climbed out of the window and into the night, off to do who knew what. She had to warn them. She had to get a hold of Batman. But she physically couldn't and it made her want to scream.

-T-

**A/N:** So... please, please don't kill me for not telling you the spoiler in this chapter. I guess it's a good thing, though. At least I'd hope that everyone would feel that it was a good thing. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! Please review! I feel like the second half of this chapter was mostly a long string of explanations, but those points needed to be explained at some point I guess. Btw, Alfred noticed Bruce's face being irritated in chapter 14, in case you're wondering. In the same chapter, Bruce was supposed to be talking to Fox about the vest. So yeah, feel free to visit my homepage for more info on what I said at the top of the chapter. Keep smiling! Later!

~Rena


	38. Chapter 38: What You Wouldn't Do

**Disclaimer:** Well, even if I super-glued the copyright for Teen Titans to my hand, they could just remove it from my hand with nail polish remover. So no, I don't own Teen Titans or Batman or anything from the DCU. It's very sad...

**Author's Note:** So the other day I was talking with a bunch of friends about how awesome it is that Teen Titans is airing on Cartoon Network and I suddenly realized, I haven't updated! So being totally inspired, I was miraculously able to write this new chapter. So here it is! All done and wrapped in a virtual bow... sort of. ^^ As I was saying, on to: "Chapter Thirty-Eight: What You Wouldn't Do"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: What You Wouldn't Do**

The muggy air outside seeped through the cracks in the windows. The cracks weren't there from age, though. They were there because Joker kept throwing small rocks at them. He'd claw at the walls of his cell and whenever a good piece would fall out of place, he'd throw it a million times at the glass. He wasn't trying to escape, he was just trying to cause some property damage. It amused him, what could he say? Though to be honest, he was the only one it amused. Two Face, who could hear Joker's maniacal laughter through the vent, was particularly tired of it and annoyed that the Joker hadn't found another way to bug the caretakers of the residents of Arkham Asylum (for the criminally insane).

Insane was right.

Joker continued to throw the rocks at the window. He had become quite good at aiming them through the bars that kept him from the window itself. His laughter continued. A stream of 'Ha's, 'Hehe's, and combinations of the two. Sometimes, he'd almost lose his breath and consciousness he was laughing so hard. How that was possible, Two Face could only assume it was because this was the Joker that was doing it. He hoped though, that Joker would lose consciousness soon enough.... but he shortly admitted to himself that that was probably a hopeless notion.

Two Face snarled, "Joker! Shut up!"

"Hehaheheee," Joker replied through the vent, "Don't tell me you're jealous 'cause I'm havin' some fun, Harvey?"

Two Face attempted to remain composed, "You know, I know having fun is your field of expertise, but the noise you're making is quite... undesirable for those of us who... are more concerned with other things..."

"Haha, oh yeah, you're still brooding over getting taken in by the Bat's bird brat," Joker brought up.

Two Face lost it, "SHUT UP!!!"

And of course, Joker didn't and continued to mock his practical cell mate, "How dare you tell me to 'shut up' Two Face old boy! We go so far back!"

"As if," Two Face growled.

Joker made a comedic 'batter up' swing and let a small rock fling through the bars. It shattered a small hole through the glass and continued to sail outside.

"Heehee, hope that hurt someone," Joker mumbled, "Teeheeheehahee..."

"At least I wasn't stupid enough to gain the attention of Batman and the entire police force!" Two Face remarked back.

"Harvey, Harvey, Harvey," Joker said, "I'm hurt, that was intentional."

"And when is your payoff coming then?" Two Face asked, "I would have thought that you'd bust out by now."

Joker crossed his arms, "Well, excuse me for being a little slow on the escape plan. I'm working on it!"

"You should have had one before you got caught," Two Face remarked.

"Listen, you want to go, Dent?" Joker asked.

"Crawl through the air vent and the pleasure'll be all..."

Suddenly something shot through Joker's window and it shattered into a thousand pieces. Joker covered his eyes, but upon regaining his sight, Two Face heard him begin to chuckle again.

"Well, well, well, perfect timing," Joker laughed while picking up the same rock that he had thrown out the window moments earlier.

"You two bicker like an old married couple," Slade said, while holding onto the wall and setting up small explosives on both windows.

"What are you doing here?" Two Face inquired.

Slade would have normally smiled, but at this point, he wasn't really in the mood to do so. "I have a job for you two."

"I work for nobody," Two Face quickly snapped.

"I'm not saying you'd be doing it for free," Slade answered, securing the explosives to the bars, "I'll free you from Arkham and get you to your area of town, Two Face."

Two Face raised a brow, interested, maybe...

"That's no incentive for me," Joker remarked, "I'm almost out of here and besides, you were supposed to do that for me ages ago. What happened there?"

"I was a little... distracted," Slade stated carefully, "Though I think you'd have fun doing this Joker."

"Doing what?" Joker spat back and Two Face listened.

Slade glanced at the two of them through the windows, "I need a sufficient... distraction. I need chaos to rule Gotham tonight. And who better than 'The Clown Prince of Crime' and 'Harvey Two-Face Dent' to create it for me?"

"Chaos?" Joker asked, "You've got my attention!"

"Several Justice League members as well as the Teen Titans are in Gotham tonight. I want you to terrorize this city. Big time," Slade smirked, "Your supplies will be waiting for you at these locations along with directions to specific getaway routes."

Slade tossed them each a slip of paper, "There should be more than enough men and supplies. Keep the change."

A count down began on the explosives. Joker and Two Face looked through the vent and then at the lowering numbers on the TNT. The Joker started laughing while Two Face began to smirk. This, he thought, might actually be a bit fun.

The counters reached zero and a muffled blast tore through the windows of their cells in Arkham Asylum. Alarms didn't even blare, though. Joker and Two Face got out from behind the beds and looked out to see two cables aimed in separate directions with a harness on each. Joker's smile widened.

"Beat you to the bottom, Dent!" He yelled and jumped onto the harness and out of the Asylum.

Two Face watched Joker bounce up and down on the cable, not even bothering to attach the harness to himself. He had to hand it to Deathstroke. He knew how to seal a deal. Attaching the harness to his belt buckle, Two Face took a running start and leaped off to catch the rest of the harness and slide quickly down the cable line to freedom. Now this, this would be fun.

-T-

Beast Boy was busy tapping his foot on the steel floor of the Batcave. He couldn't believe that he was thinking this, but he was bored stiff. He was in one of the most secret, most secure, and coolest superhero bases in the world. And he was bored. For the last hour, after Batman's confusing and ridiculous explanation of how he was somehow still alive, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Cyborg had been going through files, emergency procedures and debating over where Slade might be hiding or planning on doing next. As for the other three Titans, Raven was meditating and attempting to sense any signs of danger, Starfire was working with Alfred to take care of the Manor's security, and he... well, Beast Boy really didn't have anything to do.

He tried to pay attention and put in his two cents with Cyborg and the others, but he ended up finding that most of it really wasn't a conversation. Alfred had already put the Manor's security on the highest level of alert, which was displayed on the right monitor while Batman was positive that Slade wouldn't take such a humiliation standing down. Wonder Woman worked on setting up a relay system between Titans Tower and the Watch Tower while Cyborg was downloading information on Wayne Manor's primary defenses, designs that Luthor had made for his Sonic Cannon's technology (a nice find that Batman had made), and a detailed map of Gotham City from the Batcave's system.

Superman and Batman were taking the opportunity to discuss possible defenses (neither of them really agreeing on anything). Therefore, there wasn't much to do, especially on Beast Boy's end. How on earth could he possibly be bored?!? It was sort of irritating... He stopped tapping his foot and put his head in his hands. Seriously, dude... And the idea that Slade was still out there gave him the creeps. It made him antsy. So he did the only thing he could think to do. He walked over to Raven.

"Uh, hey, Raven?"

Raven opened an eye and said nothing. Beast Boy pulled at his shirt's collar, "Uh, hehe, um, hey, you uh, you don't think it's a bad idea, do you? Just sitting' around here and all... I mean, Slade could be..."

"He's not here," She said, "I'd sense him."

"Uh... uh, huh, well..." Beast Boy said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Alright... if you say so..."

He began to walk back to his spot. He should just sit down and chill. Maybe he should just talk to Superman and Batman about... Then again, they looked kind of busy. And by busy, he meant intimidatingly angry with one another. For a moment, he pondered over who he thought would win in a fight between the two of them when something bright and round caught his peripheral vision. He gasped and turned to a darker corner of the Batcave. Nothing. Though he could have sworn... He stepped a bit closer and slowly a single eye came into view.

He screamed, "RAVEN!!!"

"What?" She yelled back and looked up.

"Raven!" He called.

"Quiet," she said.

"Huh?" Beast Boy asked, only to see everyone looking at the two of them like they were crazy. Well, particularly like he was crazy. Though it didn't take long for them to ignore him again.

"Listen, Raven, I just... I just saw, what I could swear was an eyeball in the corner over there," He whispered and pointed to where he had seen the eye.

Raven glanced over and saw nothing, "You're seeing things. Slade's not over there and certainly no one else is."

"But, but Raven..." Beast Boy stuttered.

"Batman," she called, "How secure is the cave?"

"One hundred percent," he answered, before returning to work.

She had to admit, he really was blunt... "See, now don't bother me again."

"Friend Raven, is something the matter?" Starfire asked, floating over with a tray of medicine.

"No, Beast Boy's bored and seeing things. The dim light is playing tricks on him," Raven told her.

"Look, Raven, I know what I saw," Beast Boy said, a bit angry now.

She glared at him, but upon seeing his reaction, she softened her demeanor slightly, "Then maybe it was a reflection of someone else's eye. The walls of the cave are as wet as a lake."

Beast Boy's frustration lowered a bit at the suggested explanation, "Maybe..."

"Oh, yes, it does make sense when you put it that way, friend Raven," Starfire said, "Tamaran often has waterfalls that produce the same effect on the walls opposite them."

"Alright, I get it, but that was seriously creepy," Beast Boy stated... "What are you doing?"

"Oh," Starfire answered, "I am delivering this up to Ms. Leslie. She requested it to help friend Robin."

"Oh, alright. Guess we'll see you when you get back down," Beast Boy said.

Starfire smiled and went on up the stairs to the Manor. She flew up to the exit and upon entering the Manor itself, landed and walked the rest of the way. She felt like she should while here. Somehow, it was a bit weird, being in Robin's home, where he lived before he moved out to Titans Tower. It almost invoked some sort of respect out of her, too, like she would her own home as well. She climbed the staircase in the front and followed Alfred's instructions to find Robin's room. Soon she found what she believed was the right doorway. The Tamaranian knocked gently and then opened the door only to find Catwoman leaning against the door, blocking her way.

"Um, excuse me, Ms... Woman of the Cats, but I have medicine to give to Robin. May I please enter?" Starfire asked.

Catwoman looked at her with an eyebrow raised before standing up straight and answering, "Sure, kid, go ahead in."

Starfire smiled and walked into the room. She saw Leslie waiting by a door, but saw no sign of Robin. Leslie smiled and answered the evident question on Star's face.

"He's just cleaning up in the bathroom, dear," Leslie told her.

"Oh," Starfire replied, now understanding.

Just then the door by Leslie opened and Robin came into the room, a robe over his shoulders and a pair of shorts on.

"Oh, hey, Starfire," Robin said upon seeing her.

"Hello, friend, I brought you some remedies," She said, holding up the tray.

"Thanks," he said.

Then Starfire noticed, "Um, friend, why is your mask on?"

Robin smiled, "Not taking any chances. If I end up in a fight, I want Robin to be in it, not Dick Grayson."

"Alright then, well at least let me see if there's anything we missed," Leslie said, gesturing for him to take off the robe.

Robin didn't argue; Leslie was a doctor before anything else after all. He removed the robe and Leslie scanned for any signs of scrapes or bruises that she had missed earlier. For the most part, he looked pretty cleaned up. At least he hadn't needed any stitches, though he had several bandages scattered across his back and chest. It didn't surprise Starfire too much, after that explosion and seeing the mess he had been when they had found him. Still, it reminded her of the time that Robin had been seeing hallucinations of Slade due to inhaling modified dust that had been hidden in Slade's mask.

Leslie however, noticed something that disturbed her on a higher level than his injuries from the explosion. On his upper arm, there was a string of bruises... they matched the pattern of a set of fingerprints, as though Robin had been gripped by the arm and dragged multiple times in the course of the last few weeks. He couldn't see them, and there weren't any more Leslie could find, other than tell tale signs of fights that Robin had been in, so she said nothing and made a mental note to talk to Bruce about it later. Still, it was a clear indication, especially to Leslie, that Slade had to be a horrible person.

She handed Robin a loose t-shirt and he put it on while she took the medicine that Starfire had brought up. She set aside a small amount of pills and filled a glass of water from the sink so that Robin could swallow the meds. Afterwards, she ushered Robin into bed, not wanting him to strain himself any further. Starfire watched quietly, but with sympathy like any of the Titans would. Catwoman remained silent the entire time and barely acknowledged what was going on.

Earlier, when she had entered, Dick had nearly attempted to attack her before she pulled up the Bat-communicator that Bruce had given her earlier. It was only when he had heard Bruce confirm that she was indeed on their side (at least at the moment) and was to be keeping watch for him, that Dick really calmed down. Actually, no. He quit trying to incriminate her. But he did continue to glare at her for quite some time. At one point, when he had replaced his mask, he then realized that Bruce had told her who they were. His head had snapped over at her and if possible, his scowl turned worse. Leslie, however, quickly returned his attention to mending his injuries.

Since then, Catwoman had taken to ignoring him and just keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Leslie and Starfire decided to stay until Robin fell into a light dose. They wouldn't have to wait very long, as all of the medicine only sped up the process and Robin was already extremely tired. While Leslie paced here and there while waiting, Starfire sat by Robin's side. She was the only one that Catwoman really watched. Perhaps it was the earlier title that she had given Catwoman (Ms. Woman of the Cats), but she was a little struck by the girl's character.

As they waited, Catwoman noticed Starfire slip her hand into Robin's. Her eyes were soft and she had a warm smile on. She was happy... And that's when it really hit Catwoman. Robin... Robin was a teenager. And these two, they must, well, be into each other. She couldn't see Robin's expression, but the fact that he continued to hold Starfire's hand was enough for her to recognize it. And by the looks of it, unlike most teenage couples who didn't know what they wanted or were dating for the fun of it, they probably were some of the few... who really cared about one another...

Leslie leaned over and tapped Starfire on the shoulder. Robin was asleep and they both headed for the door. Leslie nodded at Catwoman and Catwoman nodded back. They left and the door clicked behind them as it was shut. It was just her and Robin. She walked around the side of the bed and double-checked that Robin really was out of it. He was. And his hand was in the same spot where Starfire had left it. She grabbed the chair and brought it over to the other side of the bed where she could be between the door and the windows.

She sat on it backwards and pulled off her own cowl. Selina shook loose her wavy black hair and leaned her chin on the back of the chair. Man, it was hitting her. Like, when did he turn into a teenager with love interests? The last time she saw him, she only saw that he had grown a few inches. It didn't really click for her that the bratty kid in booty shorts had grown up in more ways then one. He was still a little annoying, but... Wow. She looked out the window. The view was absolutely beautiful. She could see Gotham to one side and then the cliff that led to the ocean on the other. The moon was full and gleamed despite Gotham's attempts to hide it from existence. Batman was right, Gotham never slept. It's lights were always there to sparkle for the stars.

She was barely getting over the shock that Batman was Bruce Wayne... and she had practically dated both of them! How did she not notice? Well, as Batman, Bruce did drop his voice a couple octaves... But they were both such good kissers! How could she not notice? How could she not tell? She shook her head and decided not to debate it anymore.

She remembered finding Batman that one night it was snowing and he had taken her back to the Batcave, not really explaining anything. The fact that Robin wasn't with him didn't register at first; he hadn't been with Batman much the past year anyway. As they rode in the Batmobile in stealth mode, she attempted to get some sort of explanation out of him. He hadn't said anything.

Upon entering the Batcave, he stopped and opened the doors to the Batmobile. She still had no idea of what to expect. She asked why she hadn't seen him lately. She asked why he wasn't talking. She asked if there was something really... And then he had taken off his mask and she was finally just as quiet as he was. Bruce Wayne. And then he answered her questions. He also asked many of his own. Neither Dick/ Robin, whichever alias they were talking about, no one actually knew if he was alive. And he needed that. The trouble with it was that he had to maintain a low profile, which was particularly hard to do after a while. He rarely was able to visit the Batcave itself and he couldn't fight anyone who would go blathering on about 'It's the Batman!'.

That's where she came in. He asked her, as a personal favor, if she would help him.

Well, when the richest man in Gotham, the Dark Knight, and a potential love interest reveals to you their identity and asks you to do them a favor, you say yes. She had come to understand since why he had kept it a secret from her. He did it with everybody. It was strictly a need to know thing. Only if you were lucky, like she was, he would trust you enough to tell you.

She had received a Bat-communicator and since then, she had worked to help him whenever possible. They'd meet at random locations scattered through out Gotham. Bruce's network was beyond anything that she had imagined. But the real surprises came as she worked with him. The subtle things that he did. She saw more of who he was. Why he did what he did.

Upon the day's discovery of the new enemy in their midst, she had seen how much Robin mattered to him. He wasn't just outraged because he had been outsmarted. He was furious because this person's, Slade's, sole intention was to hurt Robin. His only real family (outside of Alfred), one of the few that he had ever gotten close to... And that's when it finally fell into place for her, how much he cared about Robin, like they really were father and son. She could now understand why every time she and Robin had clashed, he never took sides and only separated them. He wasn't about to degrade either of them. He valued them both.

And if he valued Robin, she guessed that she could value him too. She still felt that he was a bit of a punk around her, but... if he was important to Batman, he was important to her too. And the kid was shaping up a little bit. A little. Selina sighed and smirked. Whatever. She was here now. What else was she going to do with her time, anyway?

The air turned on. She looked up at the vent. It was a little hot in here... What she couldn't see though, were the tiny nanobots (only a few of Slade's specialties) that had entered the room and had proceeded to fly over to the window. A few scouted, getting a good look at the room, and the table with the bottles of medicine by Robin's bed. Slade smiled. Wayne's security system, while at the top of the line, had some loopholes. He was sure that Batman knew where they were, too. He could almost consider this a thrill, if it wasn't for the situation at hand.

The one loophole that allowed for the easiest access to Robin's room was the window. If opened from the inside, it sent a message to the mainframe of the system, but it wouldn't sound any alarms. He noticed he had ten seconds. The nanobots pushed open the locks on the windows. Then, with a small kick, they opened the windows, which slid out of place, making a small creak. Selina looked up and noticed.

She got up and walked over to the window and looked outside. Up, down and all around. She saw nothing. Weird... She turned towards the door... was it a distra... Instantly, Selina felt herself being attacked and found herself in a choke hold.

"Rob..." She didn't get much farther as Slade placed a thick glue-like material over her mouth.

She elbowed him and was able to get out of his grasp. She pulled her whip from her side and let it unravel, going into a defensive position. Slade chuckled. She reached for the Bat-communicator, but he attacked her arm before she could get it. It fell to the floor and she had to instantly engage in fighting him. She could tell his style came from the military and it made her grateful that she had experience in kick boxing. For the most part, it was a matter of dodging one another's attacks. And they both did, equally well.

But Selina knew that she'd have to get to the Bat-communicator soon. She couldn't fight this guy on her own and by the way he was fighting, she knew it. Slade was motivated. His edge was his drive. And despite the fact that they were both in the height of physical condition, she knew that with only a few hits, she'd be down for the count and it would take her many more to knock this guy off his feet.

"I'm impressed, Catwoman," Slade whispered, "I didn't think it would take this long."

She glared at him and they went at it again. Down below, Alfred looked up at the monitor screen and saw the warning from the window being opened. He looked over at Leslie.

"You didn't open the window for him or anything, did you?" He asked.

Leslie shook her head and Alfred looked over to Batman, "Master Wayne, the window up in Dick's bedroom has been opened."

Batman's head swiveled so quickly, Alfred was surprised that he could move so fast with the cowl on. He was over at the screen in a second while the others looked up and over at him. Up at the top of the Manor, Slade knew that someone was bound to investigate the open window soon. There was no time to deal with Catwoman anymore. She was a furious opponent, almost like Adeline in many ways. That was probably the only reason he could do this. His experiences fighting Adeline gave him an advantage that Catwoman didn't know about.

Selina found herself weighing her options. If she woke Robin up, he'd be drowsy and Slade's attention would turn primarily to him. Who knew what kind of reinforcements Slade had up his sleeve? She remembered reading over the file Batman had found from Titans Tower that said he was a master at robotic technology. The idea of leading him safely down stairs after that sounded nearly impossible. She could just pick him up and run, but with the added weight, she'd be slow and Slade would quickly catch up to her. She had to call for back up. It was her only real chance.

Catwoman and Slade parted from combat and she took the opportunity to run to the fallen communicator. She turned it on. _Yes!_ While she couldn't make an intelligible word, she could still scream. Batman saw the incoming call and put it on speaker. The sound of Selina's muffled scream was all he needed. Then the communication was cut off and Batman began to leave for the Manor when an incoming message came to the screen that Superman was near.

"Possible trouble at Arkham," he relayed.

"Stay here, monitor it."

And that's all he said. Wonder Woman looked over at Clark and he nodded. If he needed to, he could always get to the top of Wayne Manor in an instant. Batman, the Titans, and Wonder Woman rushed up to Robin's room, where things were not going as well as one could hope. Slade had broken the communicator and used Catwoman's fallen whip to restrain her arms to her chest. He pulled out a small sedative and plunged it into her mouth. Selina's eyes widened. No, no way would she go out like this... She used her remaining energy to force herself into a flip and out of Slade's restraint.

She did a 180 in mid air with her body and landed facing Slade, her fists up, but she saw that Slade wasn't worried. And then she knew why. Slowly, Selina fell to her knees and fell to the floor, losing sight of her surroundings. No... Slade walked passed her and over to the bed, where Robin was barely stirring. He grabbed Robin by the chin and looked at him.

"Wake up, Robin, it's time to go," he said.

Robin's eyes opened slightly and he squinted, but it wasn't long before he was fully awake and attempted to make a struggle against the intruder. Slade wasn't going to deal with this now, though. He held Robin's arms down against the boy's sides with one arm and immediately dragged the teen out of his bed. He barely caught sight of Catwoman's fallen form.

"Slade! No!" Robin yelled.

"I'll deal with your delinquency later," Slade said.

Robin struggled as panic began to rise in his chest. No, no, not again! Please, not again!

The door burst open and in came seven superheroes just as Slade pushed the door open further. It was beginning to mist outside and a clash of thunder and lighting shook and lit up the room, illuminating Slade's new policy, a hostage situation. Slade held a small hand blade in his hand and upon seeing where he was holding it, Batman growled.

"Slade, release him!" Batman yelled.

"You really are back from the dead," Slade commented, "I should have known that I'd have to kill you myself. But I won't be making that mistake again."

"Yo, Slade, drop 'him man," Beast Boy yelled.

"Unless you want to deal with seven very angry superheroes," Cyborg added.

Slade chuckled, "Are you sure you want to do that? Because... unlike you, I'm not too concerned..."

Slade rested the blade on Robin's neck, almost drawing blood and Robin shut his eyes tightly. He was still shaking. After all of this, he was still going to lose. They were going to lose. Slade... Slade was going to win. And that's what scared him. Somewhere, he heard Starfire and Wonder Woman gasp, Cyborg and Beast Boy take steps back, and Batman and Raven remained where they were, but at the same time, he didn't think their expressions would be very friendly either.

Batman held an arm out, ordering the others not to move as Slade continued, "…with roughing him up a bit. You see, if he can't talk, he can't speak out against me. It works out well either way for me. Though I'm sure that... you would prefer..."

Slade let the knife fall so that he could turn Robin's face towards his comrades, "That I leave him unharmed."

In the cave below, as Superman heard the ongoing conversation taking place upstairs through Batman's communicator on speaker, he began to notice incoming 911 calls all coming from two highly populated areas of the city. What was going on?

"Alfred, does Batman have any cameras to give us a visual of the area?" He asked.

"I'll bring them up right away," Alfred replied.

Something reached Superman's ears, like someone tripping on the steel floors. But everyone was upstairs, right? He felt someone tapping him and immediately turned to see who it was. Before he could determine who it was though, he felt himself involuntarily stiffen.

_Contact!_

Slade had slowly begun to make his way with Robin to the window, the knife back in place. The look on Robin's face made Batman tense. He had never seen Robin so... terrified and he couldn't...

Then in an instant, Superman rocked out through the floor boards and yelled, "Slade!"

Slade turned to see the blue-eyed Kryptonian, but paused as he noticed something different... this wasn't Superman... at least, alone.

"Drop it! I know you wouldn't do it!" Superman told him.

Slade found himself actually angry for once, "Why you..."

"No, I know you couldn't do it! After what it put Mom through!" Superman said, leaving most of the Titans and Wonder Woman incredibly confused.

Slade and Superman looked at each other, though soon Beast Boy noticed. Slade wasn't looking Superman in the eye. Why..?

"Drop the knife!" Superman yelled, "Or don't you remember? Because I sure do."

Superman landed on the floor and suddenly slumped and regained posture. However, the essence of a soul protruded from him and took solid form. A teenage boy, about Beast Boy's age with curly blond hair appeared before them. He was a little short and quiet. From just this appearance, you'd never think anything special of him. But the fact that he could overshadow Superman was enough to tell you he wasn't an ordinary teenager and the bright purple and white outfit gave everyone the same idea.

"Wait, Jericho?" Beast Boy asked.

Jericho looked over at the Titans and nodded before looking back at Slade. Slade's eye narrowed and Jericho pulled down on the high turtle neck that he wore to reveal a deep scar across his vocal cords. Slade looked from the scar to the rest of the superheroes standing behind Jericho.

"Very well," he said, "Have it your way, though... if I'm not mistaken, you might have other matters to attend to."

The others looked confused until Superman confirmed what Slade had said, "Batman, reports are coming in about two..."

"Superman, Wonder Woman, take a Titan and take care of it, we'll handle Slade," Batman ordered, but neither seemed very willing to go with Slade just standing there with the knife still poised. At least he hadn't moved it since Jericho's appearance...

"Better decide soon," Slade taunted, "Or you won't have a chance to save either of them."

He jumped out the window with Robin in tow and immediately everyone went into action. Superman picked up Cyborg and Wonder Woman pulled Beast Boy out with her and they headed for Gotham. That left Batman and three other Titans and they didn't waste any time in chasing after Slade. Starfire shot a starbolt of light into the air, illuminating the roof of Wayne Manor. It was huge. And to make matters worse, there were thousands of places to hide in the dark and rain.

"Split up," Batman ordered.

They each headed in opposite directions. Raven glided over the rooftops searching for Robin's aura. That's probably why she found Slade first. Finding her center, she began to chant her incantation.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos" She yelled and attempted to trap Slade within a cage of telekinetic energy.

But he slipped through the bars and threw Robin aright into her, both of them colliding into a glass window frame. Raven took most of the force of the collision and could barely crawl out after Slade picked Robin up again and continued on his way. Raven hit her locator button on her T-communicator and Starfire received her location. But before Starfire could get there, Slade felt himself being attacked by the third Titan.

Jericho jumped from a higher roof ledge and landed on Slade's back, attempting to choke him. Robin struggled to get free again. 'Just a little longer...' Jericho thought, 'Just a little...' He didn't get to finish the thought as he felt himself being kicked off of Slade's back and tackled to the ground. Jericho shook his head and looked up, confused to see who his attacker was.

"Didn't forget me, did you?" Red X smirked and that's when Jericho could have sworn... That voice...

'Grant?' He signed.

Red X pulled off the mask, revealing the face of another teenager, maybe a year older than Robin, but he resembled Jericho, save for the fact that he had blue eyes and his hair was straight. It stuck out thanks to the sweat that came from wearing a full facial mask and whipped around his head in the wind and rain. It was a well known fact within their family that Grant resembled his father at a younger age. He smiled.

"Miss me, little bro?" He asked.

Jericho remained shocked and in response, X kicked Jericho in the stomach and pushed him off to a lower ledge of the rooftops. Red X replaced his mask and jumped off to follow his brother. This was going to be good.

-T-

**A/N:** Confused a little bit? Don't worry, some of what happened here will be explained in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review! I felt like there was a lot in this chapter, which surprises me since I feel like only a few things really happened. I don't know, I guess that happens sometimes when you put things in your head into words or on the screen. Also, since summer is ending, I want to send a big shout out to everyone reading this story and to say that I hope you all had a fantastic summer! Keep smiling and rocking the world! Later!

~Rena


	39. Chapter 39: Make Me

**Disclaimer:** Alright, after that unbearably long hiatus, why do you think DC Comics would ever hand over the rights of the Titans and their other characters to me? So, no, I don't own them.

**Author's Note:** ..... -Crawls out from under bed and peaks out- Um, hi! Yeah, I've sort of realized how inexcusably late this chapter is.... I'm extremely sorry for this chapter being so late. These last chapters I think are hard to write for a few reasons. First off, they hold the climax of the story and second, with every chapter we're nearing the end of the story. But ultimately, I want it to be worth your time to read it.

Anyway, so here it is finally! I wanted to get it out as soon as it was done, so if I haven't replied to a review you sent, yet, that's why. But I will reply as soon as I can! Another thing I wanted to mention, I made some changes to my FF. Net account, so feel free to check those out. I also posted two links to some fan art done for this story by Tari Silmarwen on there as well! Thank you again Tari! :D And yeah, I think that's everything! So here it is, what you've been waiting for: "Chapter Thirty-Nine: Make Me!"

**Quick Reminder:** Since it's been so long, I'm just bringing it up. Jericho and Joey are the same person while Grant and Red X are the same person as well. Just so there's no confusion with that bit…

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Make Me**

For the most part, Midtown Gotham was probably one of the safest places in the city. Not tonight, though. As Superman flew towards the city's center, he could hear the screams -- each and every one of them. And then he heard the laughter and knew what they were dealing with.

"Cyborg," He called below to the Titan who was hitching a ride with him, "It's the Joker!"

"Aw, man, seriously?" Cyborg asked, "He was a pain to take down the last time..."

Soon they saw the center around Wayne Tower. It was surrounded by purple balloons and below people found themselves running away, without much of a direction. Superman dropped Cyborg off on the sidewalk and they both took in the situation. The balloons were popping and spreading gas below. Cyborg switched to a vent mask and looked over at Superman.

"Wanna get rid of those things? It's just gas from what my readings are saying," Cyborg said, "No explosives or anything."

Superman nodded and started to collect the balloons at super speed. Cyborg watched, but noticed that the gas levels weren't going down. Just eliminating the balloons should have... He turned and saw a man attack a woman. He ran over and yanked him off of her, only to realize that it was a robot. Just like Slade's. It was a diversion, but why would Joker have robots attacking people when...

"Gah!" He turned to see the woman he had just helped on top of him, holding something.

Her face was stretched and wide, a smile plastered on her face as she screamed and laughed. There was a needle in her hand. What the? Cyborg pulled her off and restrained her by slamming a piece of her shirt into a car's door. He quickly broke off the handle and went to pick up the needle that she had dropped. Up above, Superman had collected the balloons in the air and had dove down into one of the canals in Gotham until they all popped harmlessly in the water. Coming back up for the final time, he found Cyborg.

"It's not just the balloons, he's having robots infect the civilians with a form of his gas. They go crazy and try to infect other people," Cyborg told him.

"So he's forcing us to fight civilians too?" Superman asked, in disbelief, "Great..."

"We just have to restrain them and get the others to safety. If we can shut off the robots, it will stop others from being infected for the most part," Cyborg told him.

Superman nodded, "You have a plan for how to do that?"

Cyborg opened his mouth and then realized something, "Uh... I'm still working on that part."

The Man of Steel grit his teeth. What on earth were they... He then looked over at Wayne Tower.... and the entrances to the parking lots below it.

"Cyborg, locate Joker and disable whatever control he's got over the robots. Leave the civilians to me," Superman told him and flew off.

"Oh yeah, that helps," Cyborg said, shrugging his shoulders, beginning to run through the streets attempting to find the master of the mayhem.

Superman began to separate out those infected by the gas and those who weren't, bringing those who were down to the garage below Wayne Tower and shutting the top gates so they couldn't exit the garage. Evacuating those who were not infected didn't take too much longer, either. It did take a good few minutes though, and by the end of it, he still had to seek out the robots that Joker was controlling. That is when he began to slow down ... where ... were... they?

Cyborg continued running and searching the streets for heat signals or sounds that could locate the Joker. He didn't have to look around for long. That laughter was unmistakable. Cyborg rounded the corner so that he was facing Wayne Tower from the north side. Sure enough, Joker stood against the entrance, playing with the little remote he had, giggling with glee.

Upon seeing Cyborg, Joker broke into a fit of laughter, "What is this? Only one person? The Bat can't possibly think that low of me?"

He ran forward and tossed a few knives towards Cyborg, one of which lodged itself in one of the few areas of flesh that Cyborg had. Cyborg groaned, holding the knife that was lodged in his arm.

"Better not be," Joker smiled, "You might be made of metal, but you're still vulnerable, robot."

Cyborg gritted his teeth and wrenched the knife out of his arm, "Bring it you loony."

"AahHAAhaAHAAahaAHa!" It's all Cyborg needed to hear that he was in over his head when suddenly he felt himself being lifted into the air.

"Are you crazy?" Superman asked, looking at Joker who was laughing on the ground still.

"Hey! You said to get the remote!" Cyborg yelled.

"Ah! So Bats did send someone else. Figures that's who took care of my party decorations," Joker said.

"Hand over the remote, Joker!" Superman barked.

"But that would ruin the party," Joker told them, "Don't you agree?"

The menacing tone in his voice echoed as did the sound of someone... something... marching. Superman and Cyborg looked around and saw robots lining the buildings that had emerged from hiding.

"Aw, you gotta be kidding me," Cyborg said.

"Cyborg, these robots have a camouflage ability when they're not out in the open," Superman said, "Can you get past that?"

"No problem, Slade's 'bots are as good as in the dump."

Superman dodged various robots leaping into the air attempting to grab hold of them while Cyborg worked a signal that could block their camouflage systems. Joker mocked them from below while an army protected him.

"Good luck, with that one boys," he smiled.

"You almost done with that?" Superman asked.

". Done!" Cyborg yelled and sent out a signal, "Go after them, I've got Joker."

"But..."

"He got lucky, not this time," Cyborg retorted.

Superman nodded and they split up again, Superman taking care of the robots and Cyborg going after Joker. The advantage was obvious. Joker was lithe and very energetic, easily dancing circles around Cyborg. But Cyborg had his eye on Joker the entire time.

"Come on, tin man, I dare you to get a hold of me, let alone this thing," Joker said.

Cyborg spun around and noticed the metal control in Joker's hand. Metal. Cyborg smiled, his arm beginning to do the work for him. Suddenly Joker stopped moving. The control in his hand seeming to move on it's own.

"What the?" He started, holding onto the controller with both hands as it slowly began to move towards Cyborg.

Despite his protests, the control still pulled forward and Joker wasn't strong enough. Finally, it landed both the controller and Joker onto Cyborg's arm. Cyborg pulled Joker off the ground.

"Don't dare me to do something you wouldn't want me to," he told the man in front of him.

"How?" And then it hit Joker, who began laughing "Made an electronic magnet, did you?"

Cyborg took the control off of him and hit the off switch. Meanwhile, Superman noticed the gradual shut down of the robots around him. He flew back just in time to see Cyborg crushing the remote in his hand.

"Think we should take this guy over to Arkham and go back to help Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"HeeHAeaHAEahAHaeHa," Joker's laugh suddenly grew in volume, "Did you really think it would be that easy? HehahAheAHEaHAEHahAHeHEHEHAA!"

Cyborg grabbed Joker by the front of his coat, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You see, my accomplice and I, have a bomb set up somewhere under the city. But don't think I'll tell you where it is," Joker laughed, "And don't think we'd place it somewhere where only we could set it off. _HeaHaahEEAHAHAaaHEaeHa_!"

Superman thrust Joker against a wall, grabbing a light post at the same time. By the time he was done, Joker was pinned to the wall by scraps of metal, but he was still laughing like the mad man that he was.

"Come on, we've got to find that thing," Superman said.

"Downloading maps of all of Gotham's underground," Cyborg said immediately.

"Rule out anything not lined with lead," Superman told him, "It has to be somewhere I can't detect immediately."

Cyborg nodded and got the results, "Ugh, that leaves mainly the sewers."

Superman nodded, figuring that probably would be the case and picked Cyborg up from the ground. They immediately headed straight for the sewer lines, each keeping their eyes open for any sign of the bomb they were searching for. Cyborg bit his lip. Joker was sending them on a wild goose chase and that was exactly what Slade would have wanted. He just hoped that those back at the manor were having more luck then they were.

-T-

Jericho watched from the corner of his eye as fell down and away from both his brother and his father. No! He needed to get back up -- He felt a foot collide with his face right as his head hit the roof. Ow... Red X held his foot on his brother's face and smirked. Little brat that his brother was... The lightning flashed and Red X noticed the shadow behind him. He looked a level upwards to see his father holding Robin against his will watching him.

"Don't worry, I won't kill him," Red X said, almost sarcastically, before he turned back to Jericho.

"Grant," Slade said, making Red X pause and turn to face him again, "Your mother..."

"I'm not about to disobey you or Mom," Grant yelled, but then his tone changed and he smirked, "But what's wrong with settling a sibling rivalry and fighting my enemies?"

Slade eyed him but was silent for a moment before speaking, "Don't get cocky."

Robin watched the conversation (if you could call it a conversation) between the two, thoroughly confused, but it didn't take him too long to understand. These two were Adeline's sons. Slade's sons. Then why on earth was he going after him instead of... Because Adeline asked him not to. So if Slade couldn't have his own sons follow in his footsteps, did that mean... He felt his chin being grabbed and forced to look Slade in the eye.

"No," Slade answered his question, "You were always the first choice."

How...? Why...?

Whatever the reason, it made the Boy Wonder panic, "No..."

The choke hold he was in tightened and Robin felt the air passing through to his lungs thinning... What... was going... to happen... to him...? He felt dizzy and unable to use the full extent of his body without tripping over himself.

"Don't worry, you'll be back where you belong soon," Slade released his hold, covered Robin's mouth and headed with him for the west side of the manor.

A level up from where they were, Starfire flew to the scene where Raven had found Slade and Robin. Seeing her fallen comrade, she flew over to her immediately.

"Friend, are you hurt? Where is Robin?" She asked instantly...

"Slade, Slade has him..." Raven mumbled, "Don't mind me, I can heal myself in a minute. Red X attacked Jericho; I'll help him when I can. Find Slade."

Raven pointed towards the edge of the roof and Starfire understood. Starfire watched Raven pull herself up. She didn't want to leave Raven, but at the same time, she knew that if they let Slade escape now, their chances of saving their friend... She bit her lip and nodded and flew off in the direction that Raven had gestured to. The rain was drenching her now and prevented her from hearing anything. Where were.... But in an instant, she lost her footing and fell as an explosion rocked the roof she stood on.

Down below, Starfire landed on a ledge below the two siblings fighting one another. She shook her head and tried to reorient herself. Still, it was hard to tell where she had come from. Why did the rain have to be so heavy? She lit her eyes, giving the area light. She had to find Slade...

Above her, Jericho would have been thinking the same thing, however he was more focused on not getting sucker-punched by his brother or losing a limb from a grenade. Red X smirked under the mask. It was astounding how after all these years, the facts of their family still held true. Joey was still pathetic at fighting against him. It was almost insulting that they were actually related. He kicked Jericho in the back and Jericho fell to the ground.

He laughed, "Come on, at least put up a fight, little brother!"

Jericho narrowed his eyes and before Red X knew it, he was on the ground, his feet kicked out from underneath him. Underneath the mask, Grant's eyes were wide and he was suddenly angry. He quickly rolled over and jumped on top of his brother, forcing the length of his arm over his brother's throat. Jericho squirmed while watching his brother not letting up in the slightest, even though he knew that some of his skin tissue was weak there. But at the same time, he wasn't surprised and he wasn't about to let Grant get his way. He pushed his shoulder forward and rolled onto his stomach. If only he could...

Then he saw them. The glowing orbs of green. Starfire's eyes.

_Contact!_

Jericho disappeared from his brother's grip and Red X stood up, ready for whatever was coming. Who had his brother seen... From behind, he felt a starbolt hit his shoulder and he turned to see Starfire shooting at him. Normally he'd be slightly thrilled about this, but he saw the difference in their eyes. Jericho and Red X's hands gripped one anothers' for a moment as Jericho forced Red X against a wall. Starfire's strength was nothing for Red X's.

"Quit hiding behind girls," He choked out while attempting to push Jericho back, "Just... like you... did... with Mom."

Jericho spun around and elbowed Red X in the gut. Grant felt something begin to hurt. Nothing broke, but ow.... But he refused to acknowledge the pain.

"Come on, Joey," he wheezed, "Don't be so pathetic."

Jericho watched as his brother shake off the attack. He closed his eyes momentarily and turned. He didn't want to fight anymore. In a fight, Starfire would win against Red X. He began to let go of the control he held of Starfire when he heard Red X leap into the air, the cape flapping wildly. He turned around and braced, but before he knew what was happening, he saw Red X being thrown into a window frame. Jericho watched Raven descend from a story above him, her hood covering most of her face. But he could tell, she was furious.

Raven turned to Jericho, "Let Starfire go, she needs to find Robin."

Jericho nodded and he let her go. Starfire held her head for a moment before realizing what was going on and braced herself to fight against Red X.

"Starfire, go, we'll deal with Red X," Raven told her.

Starfire looked between her two teammates before nodding and leaving to find Slade and Robin. Despite the earlier attack, Red X got up from the broken shards of glass, smiling.

"You hate me that much, Raven?" He asked, "Are you really that surprised, though?"

Raven's eyes narrowed and Jericho watched, "No, I'm not. I knew there was something about you that we shouldn't trust."

"Aw..." Red X mocked, "Sorry, wasn't planning on running into family, Raven."

He gestured to Jericho, whose stance stiffened while Red X continued, "And trust me, we're one messed up family. A good fist fight isn't uncommon."

Jericho cast his eyes aside while Raven kept her eyes locked on Red X, "Want to step aside and let me finish this with my younger brother?"

Raven stood her ground, "Jericho is a Titan and we don't abandon family."

Red X's eyes widened slightly before Raven began to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

A mass amount of tiles immediately stripped themselves from the rough and began to surround Red X. He narrowly escaped the prison they formed.

Raven watched as Red X landed on top of one of the window frames of the building, "You're going to regret including him in your family. Apples don't fall far from the tree."

"Don't try that with me," Raven spat.

"Aw, you don't want to believe it either? Why? Afraid for yourself maybe?" Red X asked, dodging an array of leaves and sticks that Raven threw at him from the gutters.

He flipped over and pulled Raven's hood off her head and whispered in her ear as he passed by, "Believe it, Hon."

_"NO!"_ Raven screamed.

Jericho suddenly noticed something was wrong. There was a mist seeping out from underneath Raven's cloak and her eyes were not like they normally appeared. They were red. Red X was pushing her. Something bad was going to happen... Raven's eyes focused on Red X, her hands raised like a sorceress. Jericho backed away and left the scene, but Red X stood his ground. A figure of a black bird began to emerge from the ground. It surrounded Raven and it's eyes burned red. It was like a demon and Grant smiled.

"Can't control yourself? Your own nature?" Red X mocked, "I'm right, aren't I?"

Raven began to raise her arm up when she began to pause. Red X watched, a bit surprised at the motion. She floated in the air, her expression like a stone. Why did she stop, though?

**_Smack!_**

Red X felt a large hand on his throat and began to lose the ability to breath. He was lifted into the air and was faced by a demon with a form.

"Don't ever," he heard them say coldly, "slcture anyone about family, when you have cast yours aside."

With a fist to the face, Batman knocked Red X out cold. He turned to Raven who was still floating expressionless.

"Raven," he said, "don't believe him."

The bird above her screeched and wrapped itself around her until it faded and she landed. She fell to the ground while Jericho stepped out from Batman's form. He got down next to her, waiting, to see if she was alright.

"The north side is clear. Same with the east," Batman stated, "Don't worry about her."

Jericho looked up at him and Batman finished, "You're alright, Raven. Rest if you need to."

Raven glanced up at him and nodded, "Go... help him... Star's alone... and Slade..."

She brought her hand up and pointed off towards the west side of the manor. Batman and Jericho understood and headed in the direction she indicated. The west side of the manor provided perhaps the easiest escape route. There wasn't any time to waste.

-T-

Wonder Woman flew towards the south end of Gotham with Beast Boy. They headed straight for the densely populated sector and found the trouble almost immediately. Two-Face stood, gun at hand in the middle of the street, while robots lined the exits to the street. People stood helplessly trapped. Around Two-Face was a mass of bodies, while he held a small child by the arm. Wonder Woman and Beast Boy landed in the center.

"Two Face," Wonder Woman yelled, "release her!"

Two Face chuckled, "Make me."

"Dude, what are you doing with Slade's robots?" Beast Boy asked.

Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed, "So Slade put you up to this. I thought you were above needless killing."

"Who said they were dead?" Two Face asked, "They only die if the scarred side comes up. If it comes up clean, they walk away with only a few bullets in their legs. I don't make their luck after all."

For once, Beast Boy was speechless. Luckily Wonder Woman wasn't.

"No, but I'll make yours."

She whipped her lasso out and caught hold of Two Face's leg, pulling it out from underneath him. The robots started to move and Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex to slam several into a wall.

"Keep them busy!" Wonder Woman yelled.

Two Face shot at her, but she deflected it with one of her bracelets and pulled him closer to her. She grabbed him by the shirt and punched him in the face. She hoped his nose had broken.

"Talk! How do you call them off?" She ordered him to tell her.

To her surprise, Two Face was quite calm about it, "I'll tell you; the remote's right here."

Two Face held up the device and Wonder Woman snatched it out of his hand. She was about to crush it when Two Face smiled.

"You know what the best thing about this is? It's that you'll still be running out of luck," he told her smiling.

Her eyes widened, "Why?"

Two Face remained quiet and then before he knew what was happening, she headbutted him. This time, his nose was definitely broken.

"What have you done!?" She yelled at him again.

"Joker and I aren't stupid, miss," Two Face said as blood trickled down from his nose, "This city is going to fall once it goes off."

"Hey, Wonder Woman!" Beast Boy yelled between transformations, "Stop the robots!"

She looked up and snapped out of her sudden inaction, crushing the remote with her foot after throwing it to the ground. Within seconds, the robots became visibly slower and began to fall to the ground, dead without a signal. But that wasn't her primary concern anymore.

"Beast Boy! He's got a bomb under the city!" She called over.

"What?"

"Start searching! It's gotta be underground; I'll join you in a minute!" She told him.

"Wait, why?" Beast Boy called out.

"I've got to take care of this low life," Wonder Woman told him.

Beast Boy nodded and ran for the nearest manhole. It was always in the sewers. He transformed into a greyhound and took off. He knew what to sniff out but he couldn't help feeling sick smelling the wastes of Gotham City. He hoped that Wonder Woman would be of more help when she joined him. No, if she joined him. They probably were going to search for this thing on their own. He ran faster, hoping those hours on the treadmill would pay off. Up above, Wonder Woman looked over at Two Face.

She stared at him, "Hope you enjoy Arkham."

Two Face only smirked.

-T-

Off in the west side of Wayne Manor, Slade had done a pretty good job of keeping his and Robin's whereabouts secret, despite the boy's basic instinct to continue thrashing to try to get away from Slade. He skidded down the side and leaned against a window as Robin attempted to shake his head free, but with little success. He could hear Robin attempting to make noise, though it was muffled to everyone else. He glanced around the corner when he noticed Robin trying to displace his footing.

It was too tight, Slade restraining him. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not again. Please, someone...

Slade stopped muffling Robin's mouth, but only to quickly grab the boy's hair and his chin with the other hand. Robin froze, shocked by the sudden movement and pain. He reached to release himself from Slade, but stopped at the next sound.

"Robin," Slade hissed, like an arrow in the air splitting through the night.

Suddenly, Robin couldn't hear the sound of the rain falling. The noise in the distance drained from his ears. He gulped down a lump in his throat. He didn't resist, he only looked Slade in the face, his mouth open waiting for what Slade had to say. Slade watched and smiled, seeing that Robin was entranced merely by the mention of his name. Good. The boy felt it. Still knew who he was and who to obey. And he would certainly remind him of it.

"Stop," Slade continued, "You know what you're doing is wrong."

Robin tensed and attempted to shake his head 'no', but it was a fruitless attempt and Slade finished, "You know who you listen to now. And it isn't some bat that threw you out like trash."

_But my friends..._

"I did all of this for you," Slade whispered, "I came back to rescue you from this house. Because it was never your home, right?"

_Never...? Why...?_

"Now, be a good boy and stop resisting, apprentice," Slade finished.

Robin's limbs fell and he stopped. His mouth closed and nodded without Slade forcing him. Slade let him go and glanced around the corner again. No one.

"Let's go," he said.

Robin said nothing, but followed as they made their way down to some of the lower levels of the roof. They reached a ledge, near the end of the manor, where they could see the woods. The boy wonder looked down. There was nothing left... right? Nothing left for him... Slade noticed the sudden hesitation. He grabbed the teen by the face roughly.

"Go," he ordered.

"NO!"

Slade and Robin found themselves falling to another ledge below. Robin landed on his back, but as he opened his eyes, he saw that Slade was in combat against someone else. It was a purple blur.

"I, ugh, will not let you, ya! Hurt Robin again!" Starfire yelled between attacks.

Robin's eyes widened. Starfire. She was... trying to... save him... Slade dodged her starbolts and quickly slid behind her, elbowing her in the back. She grunted and fell to the ground. He saw her squint, attempting to open her eyes, when she saw him. Starfire's hand reached for his and in an instant, it came back to him. He loved her. And she... she loved him, didn't she?

"A pathetic attempt, girl." Slade said, grabbing hold of her neck to lift her into the air away from Robin. "Perhaps next time you'll realize what you're up against and stand back like you should so you won't be a nuisance."

Starfire closed her eyes, waiting for Slade to make his attack. To throw her, hit her, crush her lungs... She heard him chuckle and all the while, she could only think of trying to help Robin. Because she didn't care what happened to her. It was Robin she was concerned for... Robin... was the one... who needed...She fell limp, the pressure on her neck cutting off circulation lulling her into a state of unconsciousness. Without warning, Slade let go of Starfire, his attention redirected. She fell to the ground, but across from her, Slade had another opponent.

"Don't! Ever!" Slade felt a punch hit his face, "Touch! Her!"

Another hit, _"Again!"_

_**Smack!**_

But the masked man wasn't about to fall that easily. He reached up and found Robin's throat. No! Robin kneed Slade's arm off him and flipped back, though he fell to the ground of the roof against one of the manor's walls. Slade stood up and cracked his neck.

"Now that was quite..." he eyed Robin, "Unbecoming."

Robin shook his head quickly when he realized that he wasn't out of Slade's gaze. The man continued, "Now why would you do that, my apprentice? Why would you disobey your master?"

"Because you're not his master."

Slade and Robin turned to see a great mass off to the side. The cavern's nesting bats were awake now and they screeched loudly. Batman walked forward.

"He is his own." He finished, "Now leave Slade, _without_ Robin."

Slade's eye narrowed and he laughed, before cutting it off quickly. There was a gleam in his eye. The game wasn't over. He wasn't about to give up the prize that he had worked so hard for. And so his answer to Batman's demand was simple.

"Make me."

-T-

**A/N:** Yeah! -Does little dance- It's out! It's here! You've read it, do you like it? Please review! I can't tell you how long it took to finally feel like I could write this chapter decently and then actually be able to do so. I also want to thank everyone who emailed me and encouraged me to continue writing. It really means a lot to me. Anyway, in case I don't update with something before the holidays, have a wonderful time during the holiday season and a happy New Year! Later!

-Rena


	40. Chapter 40: Here

**Disclaimer:** When have I ever owned Teen Titans? I mean, really, when was the last time you heard that I did? Never. So, yeah, I still don't own them now.

**Author's Note:** Alright, now, this is only late because of two reasons. And they're actually good ones this time! First, I was seriously busy for an event that I was planning, so I didn't have much time to write. But the second reason, and main reason that I haven't updated in a while was that my friend that edits my work was out of town for about two months or so. She is finally back, so I sent her the chapter and now here it is! All nice and new and ready for you to read! :D Since this is so late, I wanted to post it as soon as possible, so I haven't sent out all of my replies to your reviews yet. Forgive me! But the chapter is here at least and I promise to get all of my replies out to you shortly! :) Also, in case you're interested, I should have a few one shots heading your way too, so keep your eyes peeled! ^_^ Anyway, here it is, "Chapter Forty: Here"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Chapter Forty: Here**

Everything was still. The only thing that Robin could register as changing was the tightening sensation in his chest, as though his heart and lungs were being squeezed. The two men in front of him didn't move. Both were waiting for something -- for the other to attack? It became apparent that neither was going to move until the other did.

Robin wasn't sure who moved first. If maybe the other had only moved a finger and the other had reacted, but in an instant, both had released smoke bombs and Robin's view was blinded. He tried to listen. If anything, he became more alert. The smoke would disappear in moments due to the rain, but really, a 'moment' to these two could mean an entire victory or defeat. He knew that. He knew both of them that well.

A sound alerted him to their probable whereabouts. But he lost it immediately as another sound rang and soon multiple sounds rang through out the smoke all coming from different directions. Were they fist-fighting? Using bo-staffs, or batarangs? He couldn't even tell. Probably a combination. It was like trying to pick out a spice from a rack of jars that had smashed to the floor.

Inside the smoke, both the Dark Knight and Terminator were working at the highest level of their capabilities. Their eyes moved like lightning and whenever they saw a trace of the other they reacted and shot some sort of attack their way. Slade had to give Batman credit. He had gained his abilities and honed them, though Batman's human stamina and precision were extraordinary. But he had come all this way, worked for the last half year for this and the circumstances could still be amended…

Slowly, Robin dared to stand up and enter the fog. While standing by the side of the building might be safer in that he only had 180 degrees to cover his vision with, he felt he should be in there, helping… He cautiously felt the smoke encase him and sharpened his senses. The motion in the fog had vanished. Had they both realized that he had gotten up?

Suddenly, a sound came from behind him and he had only a matter of milliseconds to react. In a flash, Slade and Batman had tackled one another, both moving towards the edge of the roof top. Robin had to leap over them to avoid being hit, but as he landed, he realized they had both fallen out of the smog and onto the floor below. He turned to the edge of the upper roof and was finally able to see the fray.

But to his surprise, he was… surprised. They were literally roughing it out old school, as though the regulations and all of the special training both had engrained in them were practically gone. They had no style. Was that the only way they could fight? With no rules? They both hand their hands clasped against one another as though trying to push the other away.

"Well, isn't this pathetic?" Slade said.

"Not really," Batman answered.

He let Slade's own force push Slade past him and he locked Slade's arms behind him. But it lasted just moments as Slade flipped himself over Batman's shoulders while he was still locked in Batman's grasp. Batman was now at his mercy.

"You sure about that?" Slade replied.

"Yeah," Batman said.

From above, Robin jumped down just as Batman let Slade go for a moment to toss a batarang out in front of both of them. In seconds, it came back and hit its target. Slade let go and Batman took the chance to elbow him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Immediately, he went to Robin.

"Get out of here. I don't want you –" He didn't finish as Slade had thrown one of his own shuriken and it had hit Batman in the back of his arm.

"Don't walk away from me," Slade said from behind, pulling out the batarang, "We're not finished by any means."

It was almost unnatural, seeing the two men that tall fighting. It was like something out of a Roman myth. Batman immediately turned and shoved Slade to the wall, though Slade was quick to do the same to Batman. At the same time, he shoved the batarang that Batman had thrown at him into Batman's stomach and twisted it. He proceeded to toss Batman to the ground and turn his attention to Robin.

"And as for Robin, I think Robin should be allowed to fight," Slade told him, "After all, he is his own person, isn't he?"

Robin looked from Batman to Slade as the latter approached him, continuing his statement, whispering this time, "Besides, I think I know what side he prefers."

He grasped Robin's throat and lifted him up slightly, "right, Robin?"

The hold was interrupted as Batman tackled Slade to the ground. Robin fell to the side and watched as the two continued to wrestle. It was true. He did want to fight. He felt like he should, but every time he got up, determined to do something, he decided to back off and stay out of it. The outcomes scared him. Either of them. He knew that his logic was messed up and kept contradicting itself.

Who was he supposed to side with? What was selfish? Where was he needed? What was right? He couldn't see either of Batman's or Slade's faces. They were emotionlessly fighting one another. At least, that's all he could see.

Both of them had become considerably slower at this point. The gashes in their flesh made them lose blood. Though Slade's wounds healed, Batman ignored his own, as he had trained himself to do. Batman's breath made swirls of steam in the cold as he stood back after a moment while they both regained and collected themselves. He watched Slade's movements like a hawk.

He couldn't let this man win.

There was too much. Too much he hadn't done, said. Too much that Slade had. It made him wonder if Slade reveled in hurting people, without any form of a guilty conscious. He moved first and they clashed. Off to the side, Robin collapsed to his knees again, unsure of what to do, other than watch.

"What do you get out of this?" Batman threw a punch, "What kind of satisfaction?"

He jabbed Slade in the side, "do you get?"

Slade glared. "How naïve, the same thing you get."

The answer threw Batman off just enough for Slade to dodge Batman's next attack and use his momentum against him, "Come on, really? I know how you see him and so does everyone else."

"He's not just some kid," Batman told him.

"Exactly," Slade responded, "You think of him like he's your son, don't you?"

Batman pushed against the hold Slade had him in, but Slade made a tight turn and retained control, "Some father you are."

"You're one to talk," Batman breathed out.

Slade's eye narrowed, and in one swift move, he kneed Batman in the gut and elbowed him in the back, throwing him in to the ground. As Batman turned and rolled to face him, Slade pulled out a bo-staff. This time though, instead of the normal smooth ends, one side had a sharp spear on the side. Without regret or any pause, he struck the ground with it. But it went through something and immediately, Batman stiffened. Slade twisted it into place, letting the blood that was slipping into the puddles of rain water gather.

"Do him a favor, stay dead this time," he told him.

Slade stood up and rolled his shoulders, ready to turn his attention to the teen off to the side. Beneath the mask, Batman felt time slow, his eyes stayed wide. He cleared his mind. All he had to do was pull it out. That's all. That's… He lifted his fingers to try just that, when he felt his arm go limp, as though his brain was so rattled by the hole in his side that nothing else would respond. It was all shutting down… His head turned to his right as his eyes began to dull.

In the midst of his blurry vision, he could see what was happening. Robin wasn't moving and Slade was getting closer. He shuddered as a breath of cold air reached his lungs. He choked and tried to reach for him, stop Slade… His eyes began to close. Maybe… he hadn't… no, there was no maybe, he was certain, that he hadn't been the best father-figure. He might have been a superb mentor and maybe he had claimed that that had been all that he had wanted to be to Dick. Maybe that's how it was in the beginning.

Now…

He did want to be a father-figure. He knew he could never replace Dick's real father, but if he could have helped, been there… And yet he hadn't been. He hadn't. Now all that was left… was leaving Dick to this fate, someone he cared about…He said that he would protect him. He tried and now he was failing. What an awful way to die…

Robin watched as Slade approached him, his eyes shifting quickly between Slade and Batman, who… who wasn't moving anymore. He was just staring at him. It reminded him…

"Robin," Slade bent down and grabbed Robin by the throat, "It's time to go now."

Robin's eyes fixated on Slade's eye. Out of the corner of his eye, the limp being took him back… to death… He remembered the sound of his mother and father's bodies falling in a heap on the hay covered earth in the middle of the circus tent. They didn't move. Nothing did. Nothing that mattered. He had sat by them, at first afraid to touch them, for fear of understanding what had happened. Then he touched them and slowly wrapped his arms around them; perhaps his warmth would make them move. But when he pulled back, he could feel on some parts of his arms sticky with the blood that came from them…

Nothing registered after that. Not for a while. Until… And that's when the most recent Halloween night, that memory entered his mind. When a very similar event had occurred… And that time, he had said things that he regretted. He was horrible. A horrible person for saying that. Maybe he should just get out of everyone's lives… His eyes were still locked with Slade's when Slade spoke again.

"Well, what do you say, my apprentice?"

Robin jolted and coughed, though he didn't notice. Slade watched as the boy's eyes went out of focus. Robin remembered laughing, having fun, working hard, being with his friends, and then having it all taken away. He thought it had been over with until a month or two back, when Slade had taken everything away from him. This time, he was not only willing to get rid of Batman, but determined.

The man that was lying on the ground only yards away from him had attempted to give him so much. He had given him so much. They maybe not always agreed on everything, but they did believe that lives shouldn't be wasted. They shouldn't be taken away. Just like Slade was trying to do now.

Even before his eyes came back into focus, he felt himself, twisting and flipping over Slade's shoulders. Once he landed, Robin began to run over to Batman. He had to get that out… He felt his neck being pulled back by his collar and then the sensation of hitting the wall.

"That's not," Robin was slammed against the wall again, "The right…"

He felt a hard fist hitting him square in the face, his skull bruising against the wall, "Answer."

As his attacker released him, Robin fell to the ground, his head reeling. Slade looked down at the teen. _'You've got to be kidding me,'_ he thought. He scowled. It was amazing what a mere day or so could do to a whole month of breaking a kid down. But he wasn't about to toss in the towel. Grabbing Robin by the back of the shirt, he proceeded to drag the kid across the way.

He wouldn't pull Addie into this. Nor Grant or Joseph. If they chose to get involved, it was on their own. But this time he wouldn't hurt them. He was determined to keep his promise…

Suddenly he felt his hand being bitten. He released Robin immediately and Robin rolled away, springing up ready to fight again. He could already see the boy was having trouble standing as he kept swaying. Oh, and he knew that it was an intentional sway. The fact though that Robin was resisting… as annoying as it was, he couldn't help but smile at the fact.

A challenge.

A worthy foe.

The perfect apprentice.

It was time to make it a reality once and for all.

Robin launched into the fight, though Slade side-stepped him. The Boy Wonder flung his arm around attempting to elbow Slade in the gut, when Slade caught his arm and threw him to the side.

"I find it amusing," he picked Robin up by the arms, "that you would fight to stay where you are so clearly not wanted."

Robin twisted his leg around and displaced Slade's footing, releasing himself from Slade's grip in the process.

"To avoid a place where you're more than just a valued member of a team," Slade continued.

He struck out and attempted to knock the wind out of the teen, though Robin dodged and struck out for Slade, but Slade blocked his attack, though in the process, they both fell to a lower level of the rooftops. Robin attacked twice more, regained his footing before on the third time, Slade caught his arm in a hold. Twisting it in an awkward position, Slade pulled Robin in and forced the boy to look at him.

"But part of a family," he finished and Robin's eyes went wide, "you said so yourself, did you not?"

Robin struggled, but Slade wasn't finished, "what did you call me?"

It made Robin freeze, as Slade finished his thought, "'father', was it?"

Slade let Robin tilt his head down. Beneath him, he could see the scars on his feet that he knew ran upward and over the rest of his body thanks to the multiple fights he had gotten in over the years. He could see the bits of red in the water. He could see his expression. Regret. Regret over failing to keep his own beliefs in line. It was one standard that he, and no one else, had set for himself. And now the man who he owed that title to, that name, was dying and he was doing a pretty pathetic job of stopping that from happening.

"You…" Robin whispered, "are not my father."

Twisting his arm up, he managed to dislodge Slade's grip on his other arm and face, freeing himself. He pushed himself away, falling back, though he rolled backwards and landed on his feet.

"There's nothing," he continued, "that you've done, that would make me _ever_ think of you in that way. My family is here. Now get away from them."

Slade's eye widened, both from displeasure at the statement and surprise that the boy hadn't yet fallen on his face. It was so obvious that he was going to lose this battle. He was doing worse than his former mentor (hopefully deceased at this point) had. Why was he even trying? Besides, he had already fallen pretty far from Batman's ideal golden line. What made him think that it was worth staying in a place that had taken him for granted so many times in the past? The child was in for a seriously unpleasant wake up call.

"If you're so worried about them, I suggest you worry about yourself," Slade told him, "You're treading a very dangerous path right now, Robin."

And boy did he know it. Robin felt his eyes beginning to lose focus. If he was going to end anything, keep Slade from achieving anything, he had to do something to end this fast. That's when he noticed. They were on the last ledge and from there it was still a two story drop. While he knew that Slade could probably deal with that impact… he might not be able to deal with it if…

The gargoyles on the sides of the ledge were suddenly illuminated with a strike of lighting jumping between clouds. There! Relaxing himself for this for only a moment, he took in what he'd have to do. He just hoped that he remembered the layout of the decorations that adorned Wayne Manor. Slade watched from the side, waiting. It was only a matter of time before the kid collapsed… So when Robin sprinted forward at the speed that he did, it wasn't what Slade expected in the slightest.

He put up a front, but instead of outright attacking, Robin tackled Slade, throwing them both off the ground. They began to fall backwards when Slade felt Robin grab his mask and then with almost instant simultaneous accuracy, he felt Robin knock his head against his mask just as on the other side, his head collided with a piece of solid marble. A piece of his mask shattered. It was enough to disorient him. The marble gargoyle that he had hit his head on began to crack as did the rest of the structure as he fell past it.

Slade felt Robin let go, but an instant later, felt the motion around him speed up and he found himself on the ground. He looked up to see massive marble stones of what was once the gargoyles from above falling towards him. The impacts left him dazed and near unconscious. He looked up and saw a small teen hanging onto one of the marble gargoyles that was still left. Slade felt a small laugh escape him. He wouldn't recover quickly enough from this one. As he felt himself lose consciousness, he felt a bitter smile come to him.

The boy had bested him… again…

Up above, Robin watched, waiting to see if Slade would move. He wouldn't go down until… Robin felt his grip slipping…

A few levels up, Jericho, who had caught up to the scene of where the fight had began shortly after it had left the area, was in the midst of attempting to revive Starfire. He wished that he could speak, attempt to pull her out of her unconscious state with words, when a figure appeared behind him. He turned to see Raven who, while slouching, was there.

He moved aside as Raven knelt down and touched Starfire's head. Soon, the Tamaranian's emerald eyes opened. They were small at first, then they went wide. Starfire sat up and looked around.

Raven stared at her, waiting to see if Starfire was all right when Starfire nodded. Immediately, they all rose and went to follow the fight. A level or so down, the three of them made their way to find Batman right where he had left the fight and Robin had entered. Starfire gasped and Raven's eyes went wide. They ran over and examined the wound.

"Starfire, can you pull it out?" Raven asked.

"But won't…" she started.

Raven cut her off, "No, it needs to come out, I'll heal him, just get it out."

Starfire looked over at Jericho who nodded at her, encouragingly.

She took in a gulp of air and held it before letting it out and looking down at Batman apologetically, whispered "forgive me."

With little effort, she was able to pull out the sharpened bo-staff and immediately Raven began to heal him. After about a minute, Batman slowly began to regain consciousness. As figures became clear to him, he attempted to talk.

"Where…" Batman began to ask, though since his gaze was on Jericho and his vision was blurry, Jericho directed him to Raven and Starfire.

Raven didn't shift her eyes while Starfire's filled with sudden worry. "He is… where did you…"

"Starfire, don't, he's not…" Raven began.

"No," Batman said, "I'm alright now…"

Raven looked down at what she had done. It was merely repaired slightly, the muscles that had been punctured along with the organs. How could he… but the man began to sit up. For her, it was the first time that she had seen someone able to just get up with that level of tissue damage. The shock left her when she understood, it was Batman. This guy _was_ larger than life… And yet he looked around the area, searching.

He found what he was looking for. Standing up, he slowly made his way down to the next level, following the trail of destruction. Please… he couldn't be too late. Two floors from ground level, Robin slowly lost his grip and fell. It was a miracle that he was able to take the impact, but he did and forced himself up. His head hurt and the blood pounding through it didn't help. He walked over to Slade, whose mask was partially gone at this point. He breathed out a breath of heavy air.

For once… he had… beaten… him… The relief got to him and he felt his legs begin to give out. As he fell, he felt someone catch him. He looked through his blurry vision, trying to see who it was. He saw a mask with eyes watching him. He wanted to shake his head…

"It's okay." Batman told him, "You beat him. He won't come after you anymore."

Robin blinked and nodded once before losing consciousness. His head rolled to the side and he was out of it. Batman looked at him, to Slade, and then to Robin again. He smiled and lifted Robin up with the intent on bringing him back inside when Starfire and Raven flew down to meet him.

"He is… unharmed?" Starfire asked.

"He'll be alright." Batman told them. "This whole thing just took a massive amount of energy out of him."

"I'm surprised you can even lift him up yourself," Raven admitted.

Batman smirked when Raven's communicator sounded, "What is it?"

"Raven!" Cyborg called, "We have good news and bad news. Good news is that we found our little bomb of Joker's and Two-Face's and you'll love this one. It was a dud."

Raven's expression turned into an extremely annoyed one, "Wait, what bomb?"

"Joker and Two Face told us that there was a bomb under the city that could obliterate the city," Cyborg explained, "We searched both halves of the city and were able to find it."

Raven sighed, "So what's the bad news?"

"Um… the bad news is that Beast Boy, Wonder Woman, Superman and I are suffering from a major collision," Cyborg told them, "I mean, I can't really feel it since they hit my metal side of my head, but yeah, there's a dent in there…"

Raven shut the communicator as Batman, Jericho, and Starfire waited for a response, "They just ran into each other -- they'll survive."

The others nodded. Starfire looked over at Robin who was still unconscious and looked back at Slade, then to Batman.

"Thank you," She said. "If it were not for you, I do not believe Robin would have fought as hard as he did."

Batman looked at her, surprised. His gaze came down to Robin. Without a word, he walked off towards the manor. Starfire and Raven watched before looking at one another.

"Shall friend Jericho and I take care of the Red X?" she asked.

"Yeah." Raven replied. "I'll take care of Slade."

Starfire nodded and flew off with Jericho while Raven took the remaining marble and forced it into a rough structure of a prison cell. For once, this guy was finally caught. Inside, Batman brought Robin up to the second level where he chose a guest bedroom that was undamaged. He laid the teen down before letting himself feel any pain from his freshly- healed wounds. But still, it didn't faze him as much as he thought it would.

He looked over at Robin who was sleeping soundly. It really… it really was amazing what this kid had forced himself to do. He brushed a strand of hair away from Robin's face.

"You did good," he said.

From the hallway he heard the footsteps, "Master Wayne!"

Batman heard Alfred come in and walk over, "Master Wayne, are you hurt?"

He shrugged, though Alfred didn't take that as a good answer, "Is the young master alright?"

"He will be, but he'll need care all the same," He told him, "Take care of Robin first, I'll be down in the cave. Have Raven help you and send her down once she has."

Batman got up and slowly passed Alfred, who watched, knowing for a fact that Batman was probably worse off at the moment than Robin was. But then again… He glanced from one to the other again, only to find an empty doorway.

He smiled. Master Wayne might not have always been the best at expressing things in words, but this time, it was very apparent to Alfred what Bruce had been trying to get across.

-T-

**A/N:** So… what did you think? I didn't feel like it would be all that great, but I think it turned out alright! I can't tell you how mind-blowing it is to be writing this chapter. It's just… wow, especially since I've been writing this story for so long. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please review! ^_^ Stay epic and awesome!

~Rena :)


	41. Chapter 41: What Matters Most Pt 7

**Disclaimer:** As much as I wish I did, I sadly don't own the Teen Titans…. Maybe I do in some alternate universe, but in this universe, unfortunately I do not. Yeah… that doesn't make me very happy, but oh well…

**Author's Note:** So… six months… How on earth did it take me six… long… painful… months…? I'm so sorry; it's honestly awful of me. I half blame school, half blame laziness, half blame not wanting to see it end. Yes I know that's three halves too. But hopefully, since this chapter is about twice as long as my normal chapters it will make up for it? Maybe? Please? Anyway, I do want to say a few things before I let you go on to read this chapter.

First, I've updated several of my websites, including this one. I have updated my page a bit and added three new one-shots (for "DNAngel", "Vampire Knight", and "Black Butler") and I hope to have more on the way. My DA page has also been updated as well with a new (and first) journal (not really sure why I haven't written a journal for that before now) about my DA, things going on, and also a little about completing Custody. Second, I have listed at the bottom a bit of what I plan to do now that Custody is finished too, since… yeah… it's been a while since I've done much of anything else, hasn't it?

And finally, I wanted to thank everyone who wrote me asking me to update with this chapter. I do really appreciate all of your patience and encouragement. It really has helped, especially with this, the last chapter of this… story that's grown to be a part of me for the last few years. So yeah, thank you all so very much.

I sincerely hope that this chapter lives up to all expectations. So without further ado, here is "Chapter Forty-One: What Matters Most"!

-T-

**Custody**

**Part Seven: Conclusion**

**Chapter Forty-One: What Matters Most**

It was dark, a little chilly, but she was comfortable. She could have stayed there longer, but she felt like if she did, her back might start to hurt. Selina rolled her shoulders as she opened her eyes. Looking around, she saw that she was in the Med-wing of the Batcave, a section Bruce had built for the very purpose of handling injuries and medical procedures. The other reason behind its construction was so if Alfred had to perform something as elaborate as an open heart surgery, it would best be done in a sterile environment rather than the openness of the Batcave itself.

She shut her eyes, wondering what had happened to land her… But upon remembering what had occurred before she had been knocked out the night before, she opened them again. Robin… where was…? She rushed out of the room to the main lair of the cave to see Bruce sitting at the computer.

"Bruce!" She called, "Where's Ro…"

"Upstairs," Batman told her, "How's the head injury?"

Selina stopped and suddenly became aware of herself for a moment, "Oh, I feel fine. It wasn't too bad, but what…"

"It's been handled," He told her, ending the conversation.

Selina tilted her head to the side. The man hadn't even turned around. She smiled and walked over behind him. The clear view of the reflection on the computer screen was emotionless. Just as she thought. Her smile turned to a smirk.

"What?" She asked, letting her hips talk for a moment as she walked around to the front to face him, "No play-by-play tough guy?"

"No," He said calmly.

Her smirk vanished and she sighed, "You angry with me?"

For the first time since she had entered the room, he turned to acknowledge at her, "Excuse me?"

"For getting put out of the picture back there?"

His brow wrinkled slightly, before he turned his attention back to the screen, "You did what you could and you kept Slade from leaving right on the spot. Why would I be angry at you?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but at least I got to see some of your humanity by asking."

He stopped typing and glanced her way before turning away again. She finished after the silence droned in the dead air, "Sorry, but, you are all right, right?"

Bruce looked away. There was a brief pause, before Selina saw the smallest hint of a nod. She smiled. Before Bruce got the chance to start typing again, he was startled by a hug from her and a kiss on the cheek. He stiffened slightly. That was… unexpected…

She smirked as she let go and whispered in his ear, "Good to hear, tough guy."

"I… think you should go lie down," He said, his words trailing off as she began to walk off.

"Only when you take a break, honey," She called, laughing.

Batman watched her walk up the staircase till she was out of sight. That woman was… that was… He shook his head, beginning to type again. He could just blame that on the head injury. But… no. That really wasn't the head injury.

-T-

Life was quiet. It felt very weightless, save for the covers. He could feel the covers that were up to his chin. But the fact that his head was sunk into a soft pillow… that… That made him not mind. There was nothing, nothing that could bother him. He could sleep and not worry… Wait, huh?

Dick's eyes fluttered open. That thought, it felt like a dream. He saw a ceiling. It didn't belong to the one in his room, but then again, wouldn't that one have suffered severe damages to it? Where was he? Slade hadn't… won, had he? He didn't think so… but it was… Then he worried and as he discovered, it was possible to do so. He groaned and turned his head, only to see a lovely red-haired head resting on the bed next to him.

Starfire.

He relaxed and pulled his arm out from under the covers. Slowly, he touched her hand, "Sta…Starfire?"

"Huh?" She bolted up, still slightly dazed, but when her gaze met his; her look baffled him until she instantly caught him in a hug, "Robin! You are all right! We thought you may not wake for several of your earth days!"

Dick looked at her head near his left shoulder and smiled, "Yeah, guess I am…. What happened?"

Starfire pulled back and began to recount the last day's events, "Raven has kept Slade locked away along with the technologies of surveillance that have been provided by Cyborg and the Batman. Superman and Wonder Woman have been monitoring the City of Gotham; in fact I believe they are out on the patrol right now… But oh! Mr. Wayne has also gone about the issues of custody arrangements due to bringing a man out of the dead."

Dick nodded as he listened; realizing that his mask was on the bedside table, "Heh, is the place still wrecked?"

"Um, I believe the three boys have been doing the rotation of the shifts and have either been watching the Red X or they have been helping rebuild the Manor," She informed him.

The boy wonder took all of this in; it wasn't too hard, which surprised him. It felt… surreal. Not having to worry about Slade or anything. It didn't even feel natural. But yes, here he was basically hearing that. All he had to do was just… what was he supposed to do, anyway?

"Starfire, what were the Titans going to do?" He asked her, and then clarified upon seeing her confused face, "I mean, once all this was done?"

Starfire shrugged a little and then answered, "We were waiting to see what you would want to do; we wanted you to fully recover before we made any decisions."

"Oh," Dick said, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, so all he finished with was, "Okay."

Starfire bit her lip and stood up as though to go, unsure of what to do. But then out of the blue she smiled at him and gave him another hug. He looked at her, surprised. It wasn't a tight hug like it usually was. It was gentle, quiet… right.

"I am glad that you are safe, Robin," She said softly, "I am so very glad."

She pulled away and spoke, "I must allow the others to know of your recovery."

He nodded, understanding. Again, she stood up to go to the door. As the Tamaranian gripped the handle, she heard him speak.

"Starfire?"

"Yes?"

They looked at each other. He didn't say anything and eventually looked down, a little embarrassed. And with that, everything started to catch up to him. Everything. All that they had gone through. What had happened. And the outcome….It gave him an odd tight feeling in his chest. He nearly spaced out.

"Robin?"

"Hm?" He said, "Oh, uh, nevermind."

She felt herself blushing, so she turned to leave, "I shall return later, friend."

With that, she was gone and he was left to recover. She felt a little bad about it, leaving. She wanted to stay. She could tell by watching him that he wasn't… comfortable in a weird way. Like he didn't know what to do with himself. Still though, she was glad that he was awake at least. That he was okay. He was okay…

Starfire walked down the halls of the Manor when she heard her other three friends talking amongst themselves. She looked outside to see them where Cyborg and Beast Boy had been working for the past hour. Quickening her pace, she made it down the stairs and out to meet them.

"Friends! Friend Robin is awake!" She announced, throwing her arms out happily.

"He's awake?" Beast Boy asked, "Awesome! How's he doing?"

"He seems to be doing the well!" Starfire told them happily.

Raven looked relieved, "Good, I was afraid he was going to be out for much longer than that after that fight."

"You did a tremendous job healing him, friend Raven," Starfire told her, "He seemed as though he only woke from the sleep of the deep."

Beast Boy looked at her funny when Cyborg muttered, "A deep sleep, smart one."

"Oh," Beast Boy responded.

"So, the repairs, they are coming along, yes?" Starfire continued.

"Yeah, we're getting there and Jericho's been a great help with them too, unlike this one," Cyborg said, pointing at the green monkey on the roof next to him playing with a hammer.

"Hey! I work! I'm not just lying around!" Beast Boy shouted, after transforming back.

"Yeah, you're also becoming a Rhino on the loose," Cyborg told him.

As the two boys began to bicker, Raven sighed and filled Starfire in, "They should be done in about two days, assuming Beast Boy doesn't becoming more useless."

Starfire nodded, "And Slade, you are detaining him well still?"

"Yeah… which is weird, since I would have thought that he would have put up a fight, but then again, Batman's technology is incredible, all things considered. I mean, we had to build the cell outside in the lot over there," Raven told her.

Starfire noted the corner with a nod, "Do you not receive any break?"

"I do. Batman and Catwoman also take turns at it as well. In his spare time, Batman's also compiling a court case against Slade," She stretched her face a bit, showing her astonishment. "He's a little intimidating when he wants someone to meet justice."

Starfire laughed, "More intimidating than you?"

Raven smirked and answered ironically, "I know, for once, right?"

They both smiled and looked up at the boys who were now back to working… and throwing stuff at each other. It was going to take more than two days, wasn't it? But maybe, maybe things would go back to normal. After all of this craziness… It was too good to be true… For all of them. The newness of the situation, was so refreshing. For once the girls could watch the boys be boys and they were not out worrying or working like adults. They could be teenagers, actual, real teenagers.

-T-

A few days went by. The Titans and Joey all continued to work on the Manor while Catwoman, Batman, and Raven took shifts keeping watch over Slade. Batman would have handed him over to the cops, but upon seeing that it was Slade who had broken Joker and Two-Face out of Arkham in the first place, he wasn't keen on releasing Slade to the Feds till the court date.

Red X on the other hand… well at this point, no one was really sure why Batman hadn't handed _him_ over… He was driving Cyborg and Beast Boy up a wall and both of them were baffled as to how Joey could stand him. They considered asking Batman to give Red X over, but they all preferred to leave all the decision making to him. He tended to have this look about him that screamed 'don't bother me'. And no one really blamed him for it. There were so many people around and Batman had never been one to like being around people for an extended period of time.

He did eventually tell Wonder Woman and Superman to go home. And they did, sort of knowing that Batman didn't like the crowd there and wanted to handle Gotham on his own. But… because they were knowledgeable enough to know that Batman was stretching himself thin, they did have Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter keep an eye on Gotham from the JLA Space Station.

Catwoman was the only one who, well, he didn't insist on leaving. And she sort of planted herself there, claiming to be uninterested what Gotham had to offer at this time of the year. Wayne Manor had a lot more… priceless items at the moment. Bruce, despite what should have been his better judgment, allowed Alfred to keep out most of the antiques in the building.

The only one who didn't really… do much… was Robin. Raven had insisted that just because he was awake, it didn't mean he had made a full recovery. She even had Alfred come in and tell him that, just so he'd believe her. She would have asked Alfred to do the same for Batman, but at the same time, she had already realized that there was no telling Batman what to do.

At times, Robin would get up and roam the Manor a bit. Most of the time though, he remained in his room, where he and Starfire would talk. He preferred listening to her more. He didn't have much to say back anyway, at least about himself. She never pried and he was grateful for that. Instead, she'd talk about the funny things that the boys would say, ask him questions about the idioms of Earth, or tell him things about Tamaran.

The subject of Slade was avoided. Because no matter how much he tried, he didn't feel like he couldn't worry. Was he becoming paranoid? No. He had every reason to worry - at least from past experiences. But then again, Batman hadn't been behind the padded cell keeping an eye on Slade 24/7. And even if this did come through? What was he supposed to do now? The Titans had all agreed that they would go back to Jump, knowing that they were needed there, though they had never asked if Robin would come with them. After this incident… would Batman even let him?

Hearing Starfire talk to him though, it seemed to help. She just let him be, and didn't pressure him about the subject. After she and Robin had had breakfast one morning, she had excused herself to help Alfred with carrying their things down to the kitchen. She was about to return when Alfred stopped her as he was loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Miss Starfire," He said.

"Oh, yes?" She asked.

"I wanted to thank you," He told her.

Starfire looked at him, unsure of what he meant, when he continued, "You're very good to him, Master Dick that is."

"Oh," She said, seeing what he meant, "He is my friend. I am happy to be of assistance."

Alfred smiled at her, "Friends… Well, return to your friend then. I am sure that he is eagerly awaiting your return."

Starfire blushed slightly, but nodded her head, "I shall."

After she left, Alfred continued to load the dishes into the dishwasher after disposing of what was left into the garbage or into plastic wrap to save. He was glad to see that the young master wasn't following in his mentor's footsteps entirely…

Starfire made her way around to the front hall staircase when she saw Raven coming down them, half asleep it seemed.

"Oh! Hello friend, you appear tired. Did you not sleep the well?" Starfire asked.

Raven looked up at her and was about to answer, but was interrupted. Their communicators went off simultaneously. Raven flipped hers open, unsure why it would be going off as it wasn't set to be alerted by Batman's computer rather than the Tower's. But at the same time, her stomach was dropping. And for good reason. Her eyes went wide.

"Raven?" Starfire asked.

Raven shut her communicator tightly and rose from the ground quickly, "Come on."

Starfire arose and Raven began to fly off in the direction of the cell, with Starfire close behind. Upon reaching the cell, she saw Batman standing at the door, which was hanging on its hinges. The whole cell was in shambles. It had to be… an explosion? From the inside. But how did he have explosives? They had taken away all of his supplies… How did Slade even survive? Batman looked at Raven.

"Where were you?" He demanded.

"Around back, I thought Catwoman was watching him," She answered as the rest of the Titans caught up. Catwoman came around the other corner as well.

Batman turned to her, "Were you on watch?"

"What are you talking about, you were," She answered.

Batman looked back at the door. He didn't have time to question how Slade managed to trick the three of them. He had to make sure… As he turned to the Manor, Dick opened the side door. No one moved. Dick looked passed them at the door where Batman stood. The teen began to walk forward to see the damage. Everyone was silent, though Batman kept a look out for any sign of an attack from Slade. It was just his nature.

Slade's cell was empty. No one really knew what Dick was thinking, or feeling. They wanted to know, but didn't voice it. Dick flinched and didn't speak. The expression on his face… maybe he was mortified? But he didn't seem to be... If anything he was… angry? Was that it? It was like a weird mix, like Dick didn't know what to feel. Barefooted, he walked a good twenty feet away from the rest of them into the open.

It was true, though; he didn't know what to feel. After everything that he had just gone through. The past few months. And then everything from before… With the apprenticeship, Terra, Trigon… He was angry. Angry because he was worried. Because he was scared. Scared as to what Slade might do. To people. To him… He glanced around the open field. It was empty and the wind tickled the grass. That… maniac…

"Slade!" He yelled, "Slade!"

The place remained quiet. The space felt empty. He looked around, while Batman remained ever vigilant, but more than anything, because he was also worried. He couldn't… no, he could believe this. He could believe that Robin would do this. After everything, if Slade really was going to try again… Their thought processes seemed in to be in sync. Dick turned away and walked back towards everyone.

Upon reaching the remains of the cell, he looked at everyone and shook his head, "Did this just happen?"

Batman nodded and Dick looked down, silent for a moment before continuing, "…He probably can't do much now, anyway…."

Catwoman raised a brow as Dick pushed past her and Cyborg to go to the door. She looked at Batman, "Is that true?"

"He's very limited at this point," Batman noted, "I wouldn't put it past him, but Slade seems smarter than that. He probably used whatever he had left on those explosives and tricking us."

She could sense the hint of betterment in Batman's voice as he continued, "Search the grounds within a half mile radius, and go in opposite directions. If you don't find anything, he's gone."

After telling Jericho to hang back and continue to keep watch over Red X, Batman left. The last thing he needed was for that man's sons to get involved. The five others remained. Raven scrunched up her face, mad, but she flew off into the sky to search, hoping it would calm herself. Beast Boy shortly followed while Cyborg ran off to start on the opposite end of the Manor. Starfire looked up at Catwoman.

"They are… worried," She said slowly.

Catwoman nodded, "I can't expect them not to be."

Starfire's head dropped. She was worried, too. She couldn't see how… after a few days… Robin was still in no state to accept everything as it was before, but what about now…

Catwoman said, "He's going to be fine. That kid's tough. But for now, we should do as Batman says."

She began to walk off after Cyborg when she called back to Starfire, "Come on girl, he can make it through this."

"How do you—" Starfire began when Catwoman interrupted her with an answer.

"Because he's Batman's kid. That's how he is…. Now go on! Let's see if we can find this guy."

Starfire bent her head for a moment, but nodded. They both went off in separate directions, occasionally meeting up as they searched the outside grounds of Wayne Manor, but really, they didn't get a chance to sit down until much later when the search had been completed. They had each searched the grounds several times while Batman had searched the interior of the Manor, with Alfred staying with Dick. The search turned up nothing, unfortunately, just as expected…

-T-

He was annoyed. It wasn't just the fact that he had been blindfolded alone that bothered him. Nor was it the fact that he had been tied up. No, having his gear being taken from him, that's what bugged him the most. Furthermore, what he was wearing resembled something that he'd wear if he were going to church. He was _not_ going to church…. At least, he didn't _think_ he was. At the moment, he was being directed in silence. He didn't want to speak to anyone and no one was speaking to him.

"Watch your head."

Ok, correction, Cyborg was. Or at least directing him anyway. He sat down in what he realized to be a car. Great. Now where were they taking him? He heard the car door slam and the engine start. They began to move. He stayed there in silence for a few minutes. He heard the car pass over a bridge and soon the sounds of cars and sirens could be heard. Finally, someone, who had been so quiet he hadn't even realized they had been there, pulled off his blindfold.

"Joey?" He said, "What is this?"

Joey sighed and began to sign out what was going on. Grant looked at the motions without getting any of them. He smiled sarcastically and shrugged.

"Sorry, didn't quiet catch that," Grant told him.

Joey glared and took out a notepad and began writing down what he had just said. He held it out for Grant to read.

"The hospital? Why are we going there?"

His younger brother took back the pad and scribbled something else out for Grant to read. He finished it and once again held it out for his brother to read.

Grant was quiet for a moment, "You're kidding right?"

Joey shook his head 'no'.

Grant sat back thinking it over before laughing slightly, "So, you convinced the big old bad Batman to let you take me to the hospital to see Mom? Really? Don't you think that's a little… easy?"

Joey looked away and Grant stared, "What?"

Joey glanced back at his brother before taking the notepad back and wrote out his thoughts before passing the notepad back.

"_She'd probably like to see you."_

Grant let out a chuckle, "Really, Joe, really? Is that what you told Batman? You and I both know I'm gone the second you let me out of here. Batman probably knows it too."

Joey wrote something out again.

"_Yeah, he knows, he doesn't need to keep you, anyway."_

Grant read it and this time he was slightly insulted, "Excuse me? Are you serious? I don't merit enough to be taken into custody? You've got to be kidding me!"

Joey said nothing and looked down. The truth was Grant did. On nearly every level. Theft, assisting in attempted kidnap, juvenile delinquency… yeah, Grant had done it all taking into account his age and Batman for one was not the type that was really willing to bend his rules. Quite frankly, Joey hadn't been keen on the idea, either. Maybe that's why when he had suggested it; Batman could see that neither of them wanted to do it. But out of respect for Addie… Batman had relented.

Grant was a "troubled youth". Sure, fine. He was bound to be swayed by family, for good or for bad. And theft… well, he let Selina off all the time. There wasn't much argument for that. And technically… this was his nephew.

Joey just ignored the question when the car stopped. Grant looked around to see that they were in an alley way. Joey got up and pulled the blind fold over his brother and led him out of the car. The car drove off before Joey took the blind fold off for good. Already, Grant could smell the distinct scent of a hospital with sanitizer just begging to escape from the windows above them. Joey went around back to untie his brother's hands when Grant spoke up again.

"So why do you even think I'll go visit Mom?" He asked as he pulled his arms up as he turned to face his brother and rubbed his wrists, "Not like she's worth anything to me."

Joey just shook his head. He knew that his brother was lying. After all, why would he have bothered to figure out what was going on if it he hadn't known their mother was involved? It's not like he could have figured out that their dad had been involved save for if he hadn't found out about their mom first.

And he knew that Grant knew, deep down, that their mother did everything for not just Joey, but for him as well. Joey wrote down the room number and held it out for Grant, who slowly took it. The younger brother sighed and turned, walking towards the front of the hospital. Grant just watched.

-T-

She hated the monitors. Beeping away like crazy. They made it impossible to relax at all. Didn't these doctors get it? If she could sleep, she would. After all, it wasn't like she was feeling that well to begin with. A door opened and she heard footsteps walking in. She shut her eyes. What did they want from her now?

The bed sunk and Addie opened her eyes. They narrowed, "I'm guessing you failed."

He bent his head slightly, "Our fight can't be ended that easily, Addie."

"Don't call me that."

Slade looked at her, the mask gone, a doctor's coat on. She still hated that. He would have said 'Always have, always will' to describe that sort of sore spot that she had about that. But she hadn't been like that before, so it hadn't been for 'always'…

"Grant's alright. So is Joey," Slade told her and her eyes widened slightly, "I saw them the other night. Grant's still… bitter to me, but Joey's handling himself well. And Grant's become a real force to be reckoned with."

"You're awful, you know that?" Adeline said, "Talking about your son like that. You're not praising him. When you say that, you're praising a thing."

Slade didn't look at her and she continued, "He's your son. As much as I hate to say that, he is. And so is Joey."

Adeline let out a short sarcastic laugh, "If you can't treat them like human beings, what made you think you could win a battle like this?"

Slade stood up. He slowly took a step away and then stopped, thinking. It was… that wasn't it… "I know they're not things, Adeline."

"Oh really? You sure don't act like—"

"I did this for them. To keep my promise to you," Slade said turning to her, "I knew their lives were not things to be taken lightly."

Adeline crossed her arms, not sure how Slade could understand that and want to do the same thing to someone else, "As if! You still haven't learned, Slade. You'll never learn. Not after what happened to Joey. Not after what happened to our family. And not now."

Slade let Adeline's words hang in the air. He had wanted their lives to in some way peacefully co-exist. He'd stay away from their kids. He'd do his job. She'd do hers. Perhaps, he thought, he should have never gotten her involved with this, despite the logical reasons behind doing so. All she ever did was point out his flaws and how to change them. It was odd, too. Often, he did know what he should do, what he ought to do, it just didn't fully fit with his nature. Slade sighed.

"Perhaps I'm still the same fool of a soldier you taught all those years ago," Slade said softly.

Adeline watched him. She couldn't tell if he meant those words. She didn't think he was regretting his actions. Maybe he was, in regards to their family. But she didn't sense any remorse coming from anything of the likes regarding what he had been doing for the last half of the year. His words, though, maybe that's what stung the most. He was a fool. The fool that she had fallen for. The fool she still loved. How she hated him for it…

"Just leave, Slade," She said, "I don't care what your reasons for doing any of this were or are. I only want you far away from me."

Slade faced her and shook his head, removing the doctor's coat and revealing his get up. But he paused when he brought out the mask. He looked at her.

"Addie."

She turned her head back to see him and waited. Waited to see what he'd say. Because she knew he wanted to. But words never came. He only shook his head and walked over to the window. He opened the shaft and began to climb out. He stopped upon looking down.

"The boys are here," He said, "Hopefully they'll make you happier than I did."

Addie glared and shook her head. When she glanced over to see him again, Slade was gone.

-T-

Grant stood there for a minute. He really didn't want to go in. Joey was being his usual annoying self. Having that irritating 'I'm right, you're wrong, it's your problem.' type attitude. Or at least it felt that way. Grant growled slightly. He really, really didn't want to go in. It would just make Joey smug about being right. And then his mom. Oh yeah, what would she say? She had to know about his... record. Maybe. Did she? One way or another, he didn't want to find out.

He turned to go. He'd apologize the next time he'd see her...

"Where do you think you're going?"

Grant turned and looked up at the fire escape to see Slade looking back down at him, "Dad?"

"That's not an answer, young man; that's a question," Slade told him, walking down the staircase and then hoping down to the ground.

Grant sighed and turned to face him, "I don't know, sir."

"That's not a good enough answer," Slade said, crossing his arms.

Grant, for the first time in a long time, narrowed his eyes, angry, "Nothing's ever good enough for you! Not me, not Joey! Well, I can understand Joey, but..."

"Who ever said that?"

"Huh?"

Slade stared at Grant. He waited a moment before answering, "Grant, you know that's not the case. I never asked if you were good enough."

Grant turned around, not buying it, or rather, not wanting to buy this. Slade continued, "You know that the question I always asked, and that your mother has always asked, was 'how could I be good enough?' It's why we never brought you or Joe into this."

"Well I'm in it now!" Grant spun around, telling him.

"No you're not," Slade said, "You're living your life differently than me and your mother."

Slade looked at him. Slade knew Grant knew this. He knew Grant was smart enough to realize the things he was telling him were true. And he also knew that Grant wasn't sure how it ended up that they would be true. The kid was just a loner now.

"Don't give me that face," Slade told him, "Go up and see your mother. She may not be pleased with the roughien you are, but really, seeing you will only make her happy. "

Slade began to walk off and again, Grant saw he was being left for a second time that day. Then he realized something.

"What are you doing now?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter, doesn't involve you guys," Slade yelled back.

It didn't either. At this point, he didn't have anything. Nothing here anyway. The whole plan, it was scrapped. He couldn't reuse it. He couldn't back it up with anything. Once Batman was back, he had only one shot. And Robin had actually managed to stop him. For now, he had other worries and they didn't involve trying to hoist up a broken plan. He had to rebuild. Get back to where he was before all of this. Otherwise he wouldn't still be able to call the shots in Jump for that much longer. And Jump, Jump City was his territory.

If he let Grant get involved though, Adeline wouldn't forgive him and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for it, either. Grant and Joey both deserved something different. With Robin, Robin could have done it. It would have been something right for him. But Grant and Joey, they were meant to play other roles. He just hoped Grant would let it go.

To his surprise, Grant did. His oldest son stood there, a little confused before calling back again, "How'd you get here, anyway?"

Slade stopped and turned to see Grant out of the corner of his eyes, "Wasn't that hard. Batman needs to work on his surveillance equipment."

Grant glanced down and smirked. Doubting his dad, it just never was worth it. When he looked up though, Slade was gone. He tilted his head to look upward and sighed. Grant shrugged, debating. Maybe... later. When Joey wasn't around. That way he wouldn't have to deal with his ignorant younger brother. With that, Grant left to get something to eat, planning on returning in a couple of hours.

-T-

The sea breeze blew up from the cliff side. It was still fairly early in the morning, but already, Cyborg and Beast Boy were gearing up for the trip home, carrying out luggage and packing snacks. Lots of snacks. Not that they needed any, Dick knew, since Raven would probably teleport them more than half way there. As he came down the stairs, he could see his two friends making multiple trips to and from the kitchen. Distracted by that though, he almost didn't notice Bruce at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh," He said, upon seeing his mentor, who looked tired with dark circles under his eyes, "Long night?"

Bruce gave a brief nod when he caught sight of Dick's small suitcase which was in the teen's hand. Dick noticed this and looked down. They hadn't really discussed anything. Not about him staying or going.

"You that eager to leave?" Bruce asked.

Dick looked up and shook his head, "Oh, well, no, I mean, we just hadn't talked and I wanted to, you know, be ready if…"

"Dick?"

Dick stopped and looked down at Bruce, "Yeah?"

"Want to take a walk?" He asked.

The teen looked at him, surprised by the question. The guy looked like he was going to pass out, so the notion of a walk sounded incredibly out of the blue. But at the same time, Bruce seemed calm and a walk didn't sound like too much.

"Um, sure," Dick said, "Where to?"

"Just around the property," Bruce said, walking towards the door.

Dick slowly followed, leaving his bag at the bottom of the stairs. The sun was still rising, and the sky was painted with an orange-pink flare. Clouds were just a mist in the atmosphere. Dew still hung onto the grass. They walked out for a while in the open, near the cliff, not saying anything. The silence was excrutiating. So Dick tried to fill it with small talk.

"So, uh, when did Jericho and you meet up?" He asked.

"I found him wandering around his mother's place after Adeline disappeared," Bruce said after a moment, "He said that the last time he had seen his dad, he seemed to be working on something involving Gotham, which worried him. So when he heard of his mother disappearing here, he came to check."

Dick nodded, "So… then… Is she actually your cousin?"

"Yes, she is, through my mother's side. Though we didn't talk often once she went into the Military or even much after my mother died," He told him.

The seagulls were flying around below them, calling to each other, their echoes hitting the stone wall. They reached one of the far reaches of the property, maybe about twenty feet from the cliff, when suddenly, Bruce stopped.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Dick," He said, changing the subject, the reason for the walk now coming out.

Dick looked up, surprised, "For what?"

"I should have kept a better eye on you," Bruce said, "Luthor was not who I should have been worrying about."

Dick shrugged it off, "It's… it was fine."

"No it wasn't," Bruce told him stiffly.

Dick watched him as Bruce brought up a hand to the back of his head, sighing.

"I trusted a system that I was so used to seeing manipulated," He continued, "I didn't think of the repercussions it might have had... and did have."

"You didn't know," Dick told him, "I should have said something. About the possibility that Slade would be involved. I just didn't because we hadn't heard from him in ages… I'm still such an amateur."

Bruce looked at him oddly, "You're not an amateur. I might have over-trusted the system, but I wouldn't have given it that much credit if I didn't think you could handle yourself."

After a moment, he looked over at Dick, who was standing there, surprised. When Dick saw this, he shook his head, "But… I didn't handle myself. I couldn't…"

He should have said something about Slade. He shouldn't have ignored his friends' worries. He should have recognized that it was Slade in the first place. He should of…

"Dick."

Dick looked up, meeting Bruce's eyes. They were for once, not stone.

"You're beating yourself up," He said, "Don't."

The Teen Wonder looked at him incredulously, "Don't? Why not? I'm always doing that! Ever since I was a kid! Even when I didn't need to! Why, when I really screwed up, shouldn't I?"

"You didn't screw up," Bruce said.

"Yes I did!" Dick yelled, his voice not as loud as he meant it to be. More quietly though, he repeated it, "Yes, I did."

Bruce watched him for a moment. Dick stood there, the truth finally out. He didn't mention Slade since he didn't want that to be the case. He didn't notice the connections to Jump after a while. He didn't work well with Batman when he needed to. But worse… He hadn't been able to stop Slade. He had…

"Dick?"

Bruce had walked back over to him, standing a foot taller than him, "What happened?"

The younger one shook his head, not speaking a word. He didn't want to say it. When he thought about it, it wasn't just that he hadn't stopped Slade. It had been that he had been helpless and that at some point…

He hadn't… And if Bruce knew… Where would that leave…

"I'm, I'm sorry," He said, almost a mumble, "Bruce, I'm…I'm really sorry."

Bruce didn't say anything, not sure as to why Dick was apologizing. It wasn't even like Dick to apologize these days. When Dick was younger, yes, he had apologized endlessly when he did something wrong or when he hadn't lived up to Bruce's expectations. But now… well, he hardly apologized for not living up to Bruce's expectations and there wasn't anything that he had done that Bruce had been particularly upset about in his performance, so… that left doing something wrong.

"Why are you apologizing, Dick?" He asked.

Dick shook his head. He… he still wanted to avoid it, but… he had to be honest. He couldn't hide something like this….

He sighed and tried to explain it, "I… when Slade was… In that estate… Bruce, he… He wasn't merciless, and I know I should have stood up to it, but…"

Bruce watched as again Dick paused. They hadn't had a chance to talk about anything that had happened. Bruce had worked while Dick had rested. And for the most part, their paths hadn't crossed. Maybe because they hadn't wanted to. Maybe because they were avoiding something. A subject that they had avoided for years…

"I… I swear, I didn't… I didn't want to… but after everything he put me through… I couldn't… I just wanted it to stop and I didn't think about…"

"Dick," Bruce said, grabbing the teen's shoulders, "Spit it out."

Dick's mouth moved, but no words came out, until finally, some kind of sound, and then one phrase, "I… I called Slade my father."

Bruce stared at Dick, shocked. Dick took it as a sign to start apologizing more, but before he could, Bruce spoke, "That's what this is about?"

Dick nodded. It had been killing him. He had never treated Bruce right after some point. After this man had taken him in, given him a home, he had left it and had vowed never to look back, at least, as little as he could, hating the person who he never felt good enough for. But then, having Bruce gone, and knowing that he could never apologize, when Bruce died still protecting someone, him, that had supposedly hated him… This man may have been annoyed with him at points, but he never had stopped caring for him. It was the least that Dick could have done, think of him as a father… Because really, he always had. And he blew it…

"Sorry, I'm so sorry, Bruce," Dick said; he couldn't even look at Bruce.

"Dick," Bruce said, getting down to Dick's eye level, "Why would I want you to apologize for that?"

Dick looked at him unsure of why Bruce would ask that, "I… Bruce, you gave me everything and I…"

"I left you in the cold," Bruce said.

"I didn't know that!" Dick said, "And even still, it was wrong!"

"Wrong? Dick…" Bruce answered, "I never was out to force you to see me as your father. I could never replace your father. He was a great man who loved you. You don't have to apologize to me."

Dick shook his head, "But…Bruce, I…"

"I do."

Bruce let go and slowly stood up straight again, unsure of what to make of this as Dick finished, "I do."

Bruce shook his head, "Dick…"

"I do, because I do see you as a father to me!" Dick told him, "And for years, I only tried to be that good because of everything you've given me, everything you've done for me. Because I wanted, I wanted to be like a son to you….When I left, I felt like I had failed you too much at some point and thought I'd never live up to that, whether I wanted to or not… So I left, but… There's no way I could have messed up as badly as I did when I was captured by Slade…"

The Dark Knight just stood there, amazed in some ways of what he was hearing. It was… an accumulation. Of a lot of things. Things he never thought of or that he'd ever hear…

"I'm sorry," The Teen Wonder said, "I'm really sorry."

Dick stood there. Hoping that by some means, Bruce would comprehend how badly he felt about this. But what if he didn't? What if the man really hadn't ever intended to see him as a son? What was he going to do if Bruce still wanted him to stay after seeing how badly he had messed up? He wasn't even sure he could stand up to his friends, with them knowing what had happened. What was…

His thoughts were interrupted when Bruce brought him into a tight hug. His eyes opened wide and he looked up at Bruce, to see if the man wasn't doing this to calm him down or to create any other method of coping. It was a genuine, real…

"Please don't be, Dick," Bruce said, "I could _never_ be angry at you for that."

Suddenly, Dick felt his eyes burn with saltwater. They filled to a point where he couldn't see clearly, so he shut them and tears fell. He returned the hug. It wasn't forgiveness that had made this happen. It was… acceptance. But, did it really…

"I was never the best parental figure," Bruce continued, "I knew the training I put you through was intense. But I did it so you could be safe. It was why I was strict… But I didn't think after that you could ever… I never expected you to think of me as a father…"

Really? That was it? Dick couldn't believe…

"But I always… despite myself, thought of you as a son…"

Dick's eyes widened and he looked up at Bruce, astonished, "You… you did?"

They parted and Bruce nodded, "I never said so because I didn't want to intrude or force it."

Dick's mouth dropped. He hadn't expected that. He could grasp it, but still, after… He dried his face, trying to maintain himself.

"You've become an outstanding young man, Dick," Bruce told him, "You're strong, smart, and you know how to treat people right, how to care for others… If you don't think I'm proud of that, I'm not sure what you thought I wanted you to become."

The teenager thought for a moment, "Superman?"

Bruce eyed him incredulously and for once, a sarcastic comment escaped him, "Yes, Dick, I wanted you to be vulnerable to a piece of alien rock…."

For the first time, in a long time, Dick actually laughed, "Never thought I'd hear one from you."

"Don't get used to it," Bruce told him.

They heard car doors beginning to open behind them. The Titans were packing up the car. Dick looked after the sounds, suddenly realizing that he still didn't know what to do.

"You have a great group of friends," Bruce told him, "And a great team with the Titans."

Dick looked up at him and nodded, "We, uh, we can handle ourselves pretty well."

Bruce gave a brief nod, "Dick, I've misjudged people in the past. So I want an honest answer from you."

Dick turned to face Bruce and nodded, understanding as Bruce spoke, "Are you ready to go back? Can you handle that Slade is free?"

It wasn't the question that Dick had expected. He had to think about it for a moment before an answer came to him, "I… I want to go back. My friends… they're my family too. And Slade… I don't know what he's doing now, but… "

Dick paused, thinking over the next part of his answer, before speaking, "We've handled him before. We can always do it again. And I will call if we need back up. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

Bruce nodded, looking out over the cliff side at the Atlantic, "It's scary, isn't it? Losing someone... or yourself."

Dick glanced up at him and slowly nodded while Bruce continued, "I started my crusade with no one. Not even Alfred had much of a say in it. But having people around has kept me from becoming lost in it. Even I know that."

"You don't seem to want to admit it," Dick told him, smiling a bit.

"My point to this is," Bruce said, "Don't hesitate to call. There are people out there you can trust…"

The point was complete, but it didn't feel that way. Dick waited and finally there was more, "I… think I shouldn't have discredited your friends so quickly. They know what they're doing. Trust them."

Dick nodded as Bruce finished, "That girl. The one you went out with, she's a good person."

The teen looked up at Bruce, shocked, "Huh?"

"She didn't leave your side this past week and she was the one that went back for you even when you told them not to," Bruce said, "She was the one that really rescued you."

They heard footsteps on the grass behind them and they both turned to see Starfire approaching them. She stopped upon them seeing her and she ran a hand up to the back of her neck, feeling awkward.

"Um, I am sorry to disturb you, but, Cyborg would like to know if he should pack your things, Robin," She said.

Dick looked down and then up to speak when Bruce interrupted, "Tell him to go ahead."

Starfire nodded and began to walk off to leave them be again. The teen wonder looked up at the Dark Knight, surprised, when Bruce looked cocked an eye brow.

"Are you just going to stand there?"

"Huh?"

Bruce nodded over to Starfire, "Go on."

Suddenly, Dick got it and a smile made its way to his face. He gave Bruce another quick hug before running off after her. He made his way across the grass following the red head of hair. By the time she heard him and had turned around, he had caught her and picked her up, twirling her in the air.

"Huh, friend –" She was interrupted when he picked her up and twirled her before putting her down.

She stood there, unsure as to what brought this on, "Friend…"

Blush was radiating off of her and she honestly didn't know how to finish, so Dick finished, "Thank you."

"Huh?" She asked.

"You know how wonderful you are?" He asked, smiling. She shook her head, still surprised, "You are as wonderful as… Starfire…?"

She blinked, but finally answered, "Yes, Robin?"

"I love you," He said, breathless.

Her eyes widened. She was wordless. Nothing came. Not English, not Tamaranian, nothing.

"You forget the English language?" Robin laughed.

For once, yes, was the answer so she nodded, smiling, never having felt this happy. The Teen Wonder smiled too, bringing a hand to her face and for once, the space between them disappeared and they kissed. It lasted. His other arm wrapped around her waist gently while somehow, her arms managed to come and wrap around his neck. It was sweet, natural. Being together like this… It felt like they were floating on air. Like life was joyous… wonderful, more than worth living. Life was complete.

The need for oxygen broke them apart, but it didn't stop Starfire from turning red or chase the smiles off their faces.

"Yo!" Cyborg yelled at the both of them, "Guys! Do we need to pack your stuff, Rob?"

"Yeah!" Dick called.

"Well, good 'cause we already packed it!" Beast Boy called, walking around to the front and bumping into Raven.

She glared at him, but rolled her eyes, "Just get in the car."

"You ready to go then?" Cyborg called to both of them.

Starfire nodded when Dick called out, "Hold on one sec!"

He ran up to the manor where Alfred was standing with a bag in his hand. Dick took it and ran inside quickly, only to return minutes later, the leader of the Titans.

"Good to see you in that again," Cyborg told him.

The four teens smiled at him. It reminded him of what he had been missing, "Let's get going then, Titans."

"Whoot! I am ready for this!" Beast Boy yelled from the back seat as he clambered up to see Raven in the front in the passengers' seat, "I can't wait to make tofu waffles on my own again. You going to make your tea when we get back, right, Ray?"

Raven smiled slightly, "I have missed it…"

Cyborg opened the car door and called to Star and Robin, "You getting in or what, guys?"

Robin glanced at Starfire and she smiled. He hopped down the steps and slipped her hand into his before leading her to the T-Car and opening the side of door for her. She slipped inside and he followed, shutting the door. He waved at Alfred and even Selina, who came to the door in time, too. Maybe her presence… He glanced over to the cliff to see Bruce still standing there, watching. He waved back and Bruce gave a brief nod as Cyborg reved the engine.

"You ready, Titans?" He yelled.

"Yes already," Raven told him exasperated.

Cyborg hit the gas and just as he did, Raven opened a portal to bypass the road trip. They exited on the outskirts of Jump City.

"Aw, Raven, why'd you have to do that?" Beast Boy said, "I wanted a road trip…"

"So you have a death wish?" Raven asked.

The two of them began to bicker back and forth while Cyborg turned the sound system on. In the back, Starfire leaned against Robin's shoulder. It felt nice to be able to do that. His smile widened and he opened the window. As they passed around the curve, a tall sleek tower came into view. It was shaped like a "T". Titans Tower.

It was so good to finally, finally be home.

**The End.**

-T-

**A/N:** O.O … . . o_o It's… done? Wow. Okay, wow, um, I seriously… wow… -breathes in deeply several times to get over the fact… still isn't over the fact- Wow. I'm… I'm seriously hoping that this lived up to everything that you guys were hoping for. To me, it did what it should have (otherwise I wouldn't have published this, but yeah), I hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you enjoyed "Custody". Please review! I have a few more things to say down here before the bottom of the page comes, but first! I'd like to thank everyone who has followed "Custody" or added it to their favorites lists. I'd especially like to thank everyone who reviewed as well. And yes, I am about to list all of you off. Because you mean that much to me ;)

**Special thanks for all of the wonderful reviews goes to:**

:) , Alonein-Darkness7, Clovergirl22, Balance in the Dark, KaliAnn, Tari Silmarwen, Dagzar, Cold Cruel and Collected, Wynja, loopylouise123, peppymint, AdrenalineRush, Serlenia, alibi2014, ttwildfirex, Arella121, WinchesterPhantom, Clovergirl22, Aki and Tenshi, Connector, Hemlock27, blue-eyed-blond227, Lurkinshdws, ThatBirdWhoSaysDuh, The Magician ( Joseph, xxScriblezxx, Rakna, vballer, Apprentice08, Loony Dagda, "Flame,Blame or Candy Cane", virgoinvertigo, Star Ravager, Astalavisbay, Chibi Lauryn, MutantLover09, Formerly Melodious, Sakura Katana, Balrog Roike, Yumi-wuves-YAOI, Sparx10, Review, Baird Crevan, Kara D, Tameny, Kitty-Katz-Katz, NevermoreLight, HiKari Mokuba's Guardian, DecadentPlaything, Nicole, Star 4 Robin, Gabrielus Prime, la petite tourne-sol, Santana2, Sunset16, Still Town, Trimacle, alvara one of many obsessions, Shinaria, Mystyre, .717, Unleash The Shadow, Mystyre, Nadreth, Agent-G, Ravestna, fullmetaldevil, Blue-Demon-383, Aeris-Raven, KarumaK, TitanQueen13, Padawan Jan-AQ, Lady Bevier, Dark Austral, Slade/Robin fan, Tiff, Panamint, lolo, LastChancetoBreathe, Stormgirl415, Chatwyn, shadow lupus, dlsky, Shinaria, or-chan, Daisy, JA-9, Allspark, Allspark, H. Ferns, Arrienete, Scorp, Heihachi-Katayama, somekindofsomething, midnight glade, ersay123, Aerrow4Ever, anonymus, Andie, sarah . mclaurin bakerbotts . com, annymous, Jane, Valak, wuup, Maei13, xx13ookwormxx, Vampy, ObsidianEbony, TheDentistNemesis, Allendra, Arrienete, A Loyal Reader, DivineRedFire, dragonflysky, .R, FreeFallinSurvivor, Gotyu, KeeperOfComics, Onba, Rainys-day-dreamin, addicted2books, Victory Is For the Weak, Starlight, Sorry, Kirsten Erin, PanMarlon, Kenzie-Cat, Vampires-and-Wearwolves, 13, ivylei-67, arose42, snaperdoodle, BlueSkies, another robin fan, Snapesthe1, arose42, crazygurl34, Moonlit Water, Ms. Unlucky, Hoots, zack maniac, redmail . com, Mellowtopian, VulcanCarrotCake, Violet, betmail . com, and destinyfey.

You guys all rock. Every review you sent me brightened my day and encouraged me to keep writing this… this mammoth of a story. (Which did you know it was only supposed to be about 25 chapters? Yep! It was! So much for living up to that expectation XD) I would also like to send out a special thanks to everyone who emailed me or PMed me to encourage me as well. Seeing that you cared that much really was awesome and I'd like to thank you for it. I also want to thank my friends who legit hung onto my leg until I updated. They have so much patience for me, I don't know how they did it.

Thanks above all else goes to my friend, Mommadear, who has read every chapter, edited it, and given me her honest opinion about each chapter. The story would be nothing without her and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for all of the work she has done to help me make this story what it is.

So now onto final notes - plans, etc. I hope to go through all of my anonymous reviews this summer and post them up on my webpage. I may not be able to get to all of them all at once, but I will, I promise and they'll be posted on my Fan Fiction. Net homepage. Every time I update after this story, you should see more and I'll keep them up until December of 2010. As for new stories…

I will primarily stick to One-Shots for a while, both for the DC and Marvel Universes as well as some new stories for Mangas and Animes. As for multi-chapter stories… I do have a few in mind, but after how long Custody has run for, I'm not going to start posting those until I'm at least a few chapters in. I have more on this subject in depth on my FanFiction Homepage though, so feel free to check that for more info.

But yeah, that's pretty much it! As I mentioned before, my sites are updated touching upon new things going on with me as well as notes about Custody…. Now I sort of feel like I'm writing so that I don't have to say that Custody is done… But, it's done. So again, I really do want to thank you all for reading this story. I hope it lived up to your expectations and that the ending was satisfying. Stay awesome everyone! Keep smiling and stay epic! Till next time,

~Rena Redhead ^_^


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